Iran targeting US personnel in advanced plots, memo warns

Iran has substantially increased efforts to target American personnel abroad, with lethal assassination plots reaching advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries, according to an unclassified intelligence memo sent on October 23, 2026, to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by Axios and Fox News.

Director of National Intelligence Warns Secretary of State Marco Rubio About Advanced Plots

The one-page memo, authored by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and reported by Axios on October 24, 2026, warns that intelligence regarding Iranian assassination plots needs to reach more U.S. personnel than are currently authorized to receive it. Specifically, through various channels, we have received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel, the memo states, adding that The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries.

Director Clayton offered to downgrade sensitive intelligence so Secretary Rubio could share it more widely with personnel potentially at risk. While the memo does not identify specific targets, countries outside the Middle East, or the precise nature of the plots, the underlying findings have already been shared with senior State Department officials, as noted by Axios.

State Department Orders Partial Embassy Evacuations Across the Middle East

The intelligence warnings directly informed recent drawdown decisions across American diplomatic posts in the region. Earlier in the week, the State Department ordered family members and nonessential personnel to leave the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran following missile and drone attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, which killed one person and injured eight others near Dammam, according to Reuters. On Friday, October 24, 2026, the department also ordered reductions in diplomatic and government personnel at embassies in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Qatar, and Jordan, as confirmed by CNN and a U.S. official who stated, We decided that due to the threat of Houthi attacks and Iranian terror plots we need to reduce our footprint and keep only essential staff.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott clarified that the departure order for non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members applied specifically to Saudi Arabia, pushing back against reports of a broader regional shutdown. Meanwhile, the American Foreign Service Association described the abrupt departures as a stressful repeat of earlier evacuations. This echoes the chaos families experienced earlier this year. Some had barely settled back in before being told to leave again, Nikki Gamer, spokesperson for the association, told CNN, noting that members were understandably upset and confused by the sudden transitions.

President Trump Weighs Potential Military Strikes Following Midterm Elections

The mounting security crisis coincides with the prospect of renewed military action against Tehran. President Donald Trump has continued to weigh another round of military strikes if Iran does not reach an agreement with Washington. Speaking at a rally in Florida on Friday, October 24, 2026, President Trump remarked, We may do another little Operation Epic Fury, or [the Iranians] will agree [to a deal], adding, If they’re smart, they will just say, ‘Let’s get down to business,’ but I doubt they will do that because perhaps they’re not smart.

As the November 3, 2026 midterm elections approach, analysts note that the possibility of renewed U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran adds a volatile layer to an already tense security environment. The wider regional conflict, which escalated sharply when the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began earlier in the year, continues to impact regional stability and diplomatic staffing footprints across the Gulf.

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