The US intelligence officials have warned that Iran is making a big push to target American personnel overseas, with Iranian intelligence officials saying Iran is aggressively targeting American personnel in the Middle East and other countries to attack its citizens and the Middle Eastern nations, with alleged plots to attack US citizens reportedly reaching advanced stages. The warning comes just as relations between Washington and Tehran are getting more tense and security at American diplomatic missions in the Middle East.
The development came to light on October 23, 2026, when the Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton sent an unclassified memo to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The memo raised concerns about alleged Iranian attempts to attack American officials and recommended that wider sharing of relevant intelligence in the US government be made.
The US Intelligence Raises Alarm Over Iranian Plots
According to Axios and CBS News reports, Clayton's memo indicated that the US intelligence community had received information indicating a substantial increase in Iranian efforts to target US personnel.
The memo warned that alleged lethal plotting efforts against American citizens had reached advanced stages in the Middle East and certain other countries.
But the document did not name specific individuals or locations targeted by the alleged plots. It also did not establish whether an attack was imminent.
It underlines the challenges for American officials abroad as we see tensions between the United States and Iran play out.
In the Middle East, US Embassy Staffing was reduced.
The intelligence warning occurred as the United States Department of State changed staffing at multiple diplomatic missions in the region.
According to The Associated Press, the department is also reducing staff at US embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as a result of increased security concern.
They were also under restricted operation and able to reduce personnel while keeping them open. Unlike the measures taken in Saudi Arabia, personnel at these four missions were not usually required to leave.
Earlier in the week, the State Department had ordered nonessential US government employees and their families to leave American diplomatic facilities in Saudi Arabia.
But US officials said concerns about alleged Iranian plots and threats from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement contributed to staffing decisions.
Intelligence Sharing Increasingly.
Clayton also stressed the need to share relevant intelligence with a wider group of State Department personnel.
The memo said the intelligence community was working with other intelligence officials to lower sensitive information so that more officials could get warnings and take appropriate precautions.
The wider information sharing can help diplomatic personnel understand the risk of action and strengthen security in a given environment. Nonetheless, details of the alleged plots can be classified or kept under wraps, and not publicly available.
Washington and Tehran are in renewed tension.
The warning comes at a time when relations between Washington and Tehran are badly strained and diplomatic efforts to rekindle formal talks are at a standstill.
If the negotiations failed to produce an agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump said recently that Washington might consider more military action against Iran if negotiations failed to produce an agreement.
Iran, meanwhile, has continued to warn of US activities in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. A further escalation would jeopardize regional security, shipping routes and global energy markets.
US officials have denied that the recent diplomatic staffing reductions were due to preparations for possible new American or Israeli strikes against Iran.
What happens next?
The intelligence warning may keep security at American diplomatic missions under close watch. They will need to assess threats in the future, protect personnel and assess whether more measures are necessary.
So for now, the public information confirms that US intelligence has raised concerns about alleged Iranian plots. It does not provide the exact targets, locations or timing of any planned attack.
The situation is still on the delicate side and the situation will be more detailed based on intelligence assessments, diplomatic decisions and the security environment in the Middle East.
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