United States intelligence officials warned on Friday that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target American personnel abroad, with lethal plots reaching advanced stages in the Middle East and certain other countries. The warning came in an unclassified memo from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, first reported by Axios.
United States officials confirmed the authenticity of the memo. It said agencies had received intelligence through various channels that Iran had stepped up efforts to target United States personnel, and that the lethal plotting against American citizens had reached advanced stages.
The memo landed days after the State Department ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia, amid escalating attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Officials said staffing decisions at embassies in the region are under constant review as the security picture changes.
The memo also said intelligence officials will work to downgrade the classification of some of the material so it can be shared more widely with State Department personnel who may be at risk.
Source: Fox News
