US Intelligence Warns of Advanced Iranian Plots Targeting American Personnel Abroad

WASHINGTON — US intelligence agencies have warned that Iranian plots targeting American personnel abroad have reached advanced stages, prompting Washington to trim its diplomatic footprint across the Middle East.

The security alert was detailed in an official intelligence memo sent by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to reports published by Axios and The New York Times. The communications indicate that Tehran has substantially increased efforts to target overseas personnel, placing threats to US citizens in the region at their highest level since a US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began on February 28.

The heightened posture coincides with signals from Washington pointing toward a potential new US-Israeli military campaign against Iran following upcoming US mid-term elections. The Pentagon has confirmed that 21 US military personnel have been killed in the Middle East since hostilities commenced earlier this year.

In response to the escalating threat environment, the US Department of State announced the removal of non-essential staff from its embassy in Saudi Arabia, citing intensifying attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces against local infrastructure. According to CNN, staff levels have also been quietly reduced across diplomatic missions in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Unidentified US officials cited by The New York Times reported that potential targets had been mapped out in Europe, with some intelligence suggesting operatives are active inside the United States. However, at least one official played down Tehran’s overall capacity to execute every aspect of its ambitions.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has pushed back with its own warnings. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi stated that Tehran would adopt a new offensive strategy if the US renewed attacks, meaning military operations would no longer be restricted to retaliatory measures. Furthermore, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters that Tehran possesses in-depth plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf if new joint strikes occur. Security chief Mohsen Rezaei previously cautioned that regional data centres and artificial intelligence facilities could also become targets in the event of renewed warfare.

President Donald Trump remarked that the United States might initiate another operation under the codename “little epic fury,” referencing the ongoing conflict. Previous US actions have targeted alleged Iranian assassination plots, including a March court conviction of a Pakistani national accused of plotting against American politicians, and a 2022 Department of Justice indictment charging an IRGC member over an alleged $300,000 plot targeting former National Security Advisor John Bolton.