US Trims Middle East Staff After Iran Warning

The State Department removed non-essential employees from its embassy in Riyadh on Wednesday. This action marks the most recent step in a series of withdrawals across seven diplomatic posts in the Middle East. The moves follow a classified memo that places American personnel on high alert.

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton sent the memo to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Clayton wrote that intelligence agencies found Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel overseas. The document states that lethal plots are in advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries. The New York Times and Axios first reported the existence of the memo. A US official told the Times the document is authentic, though Washington has not commented publicly.

Officials told the Times that threats to US citizens in the Middle East are now at their highest level since the US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28. The State Department cited escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure as the specific reason for the Riyadh withdrawal. CNN reported that staff reductions are also occurring at embassies in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon. A US official attributed these decisions to both Houthi actions and Iranian terror plots targeting US officials.

The intelligence warning extends beyond the region. The Times reported that Iran has identified potential targets for American officials, including ambassadors, in Europe. Some intelligence suggests Iranian operatives are already active inside the United States. Another official minimized the immediate risk, noting that Iran lacks the capacity to execute all its ambitions.

The threat assessment arrives as military tensions rise. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the US may launch another operation using the codename for the current war. He described the potential action as another little epic fury. Reports indicate the US and Israel may prepare a new military campaign after the mid-term elections in November.

Iran has not responded to the Clayton memo. However, its officials have maintained an aggressive posture. Pentagon figures show that 21 US military personnel have been killed in the Middle East since the war began in February. Hossein Mohebbi, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guard, said on Wednesday that Tehran would adopt an offensive strategy if the US renewed attacks. He stated that Iranian missiles have improved in quality, range, and power.

Reuters reported that two senior Iranian security officials confirmed detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf. This plan would activate if new US-Israeli attacks occur. Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s security chief, warned that data centers and artificial intelligence facilities across the region could also be hit. The US previously pulled bombers from an airbase in England this month after a security incident. UK authorities arrested several men suspected of working with Iranian intelligence.