Key facts
- Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel in the Middle East and other areas.
- Iranian plotting against US citizens has reached advanced stages.
- Non-emergency US embassy staff were ordered to leave Saudi Arabia.
- At least 21 people have been killed in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports since October.
- A missile strike on Riyadh's international airport on October 10 killed 13 people and injured 308.
Iran has "substantially increased efforts to target US personnel" in the Middle East and other areas, the US national intelligence director has warned. Jay Clayton's assessment, detailed in an unclassified memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, stated that "lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages." The warning comes as the US State Department adjusts staffing at diplomatic posts, including ordering non-emergency staff to leave Saudi Arabia due to escalating Houthi attacks. The memo noted that Clayton was working to declassify intelligence for State Department personnel. A US official confirmed that the threat of Houthi and Iranian plots is informing staffing decisions for embassies in the region.