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Iran Plotting Attacks on Americans Abroad, US Intelligence Warns — AI-generated representative image: A secured US diplomatic compound in the Middle East amid heightened security following intelligence warnings of threats to Am

Editorial Team

Diplomats on high alert as Washington reduces Middle East presence amid Tehran threat reports

United States intelligence agencies have warned that Iran is in "advanced stages" of planning lethal attacks against American personnel abroad, prompting Washington to place its staff on high alert and reduce its diplomatic footprint across the Middle East, according to US officials and an internal memo.

The warning was detailed in a memo from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It comes as the US and Israel signal they may be preparing a new military campaign against Iran, which Tehran has reportedly threatened to answer in part by targeting undersea communications cables in the Gulf.

The assessment marks a sharp escalation in an already volatile standoff. US agencies now consider threats to American citizens in the Middle East to be "at the highest level" since the US-Israel war on Iran began in February, according to officials cited by The New York Times.

The development carries direct consequences for American diplomats, military personnel and civilians stationed in a region already strained by escalating attacks from Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.

Escalating Threats and Diplomatic Drawdown

In the memo, Clayton wrote that intelligence indicated Iran has "substantially increased efforts to target US personnel" overseas, with lethal plots reaching "advanced stages" in the Middle East and other countries. The New York Times reported that threats to American officials, including ambassadors, had been assessed in recent weeks and that Iran had lined up potential targets in Europe. Some intelligence suggests Iranian operatives are already active within the United States.

Washington has not publicly commented on the memo, though a US official confirmed its authenticity on behalf of President Donald Trump's administration. A second official played down Iran's capacity to execute attacks inside the US, saying Tehran lacks the ability to follow through on all its ambitions.

On Wednesday, the State Department announced it was removing non-essential staff from its embassy in Saudi Arabia, citing escalating Houthi attacks against Saudi infrastructure. Staff levels have also been quietly reduced at missions in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Lebanon, according to CNN.

Background of the US-Iran Conflict

The heightened alert follows the US-Israel war on Iran that began on February 28 under the codename "epic fury." On Friday, Trump said the US "may do another little epic fury," a remark made against the backdrop of reported plans to initiate a new campaign after next month's US mid-term elections.

The Pentagon has confirmed that 21 US military personnel have been killed in the Middle East since the war began. Iran has not responded to news of the intelligence memo, but Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened and carried out attacks against US bases and those of its allies in the region.

On Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that Tehran would adopt a new "offensive" strategy if the US renewed attacks, meaning it would no longer limit operations to retaliatory strikes. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi added that the quality, range and power of Iranian missiles had improved.

Threats to Infrastructure and Prior Plots

Tehran has developed in-depth plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf in the event of new US-Israeli attacks, according to Reuters, which cited two senior Iranian security officials. Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei previously warned that cables, data centres and artificial intelligence facilities across the region could come under attack if war with the US broke out again.

US authorities have long accused Iran of plotting against American citizens, including assassination attempts against Trump on US soil. In March, a Pakistani national was convicted by a US court of plotting to assassinate Trump and other politicians on the orders of the IRGC. In 2022, an Iranian IRGC member was charged with trying to assassinate former National Security Advisor John Bolton, allegedly attempting to pay individuals $300,000 to carry out the murder in Washington DC or Maryland, according to the Department of Justice.

Last year, the US intelligence community warned that Iran would "continue to directly threaten US persons globally," specifically targeting officials believed to be involved in the 2020 assassination of IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.

What Happens Next

The current threat assessment is driving Washington's staffing decisions in the region, with a US official attributing the moves to both Houthi attacks and "Iranian terror plots targeting US officials." Iran has not yet responded to the intelligence memo.

Additional information remains awaited, including any official public statement from Washington on the memo and further clarity on whether the reported plans for a new military campaign will proceed following the mid-term elections.