Clayton Memo: Iran Has Accelerated Plots to Kill U.S. Personnel Abroad

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton informed Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday that Iran has substantially increased its efforts to target American personnel overseas. The unclassified memo states that Iranian plots to kill U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in the Middle East and other specific countries. CIA Director John Ratcliffe was copied on the document.

Clayton wrote that the lethal plotting efforts against U.S. citizens are now in an advanced phase. The memo does not identify specific targets or name the countries outside the Middle East where the plots are developing. It also does not indicate that an attack is imminent. Clayton noted that the intelligence community is working to declassify sensitive data so State Department staff can access it more easily.

The warning arrives as the Trump administration considers resuming military strikes against Iran. Security precautions have tightened at American diplomatic and military sites in the region. Earlier this week, the State Department ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia. Several other U.S. embassies in the area switched to restricted operations status, allowing them to reduce personnel without formally ordering departures.

A U.S. official told CBS News on Friday that the department constantly evaluates new information regarding the security environment. The official stated that threats from Houthi attacks and Iranian terror plots are shaping staffing decisions at embassies under restricted operations. A senior U.S. military official said the military has quietly shrunk its presence at Middle Eastern posts due to continuing threats.

Iran-backed Houthi militants have targeted Saudi oil infrastructure and airports. A strike on Riyadh's King Khalid Airport earlier this month killed a U.S. citizen and others, while injuring hundreds. Last weekend, embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates implemented security steps in response to these attacks.

U.S. and Iranian forces have avoided direct strikes in recent weeks, but President Trump has not ruled out restarting hostilities after next month's midterm elections. Iran continues to claim responsibility for attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at a campaign rally in Florida on Friday, Trump suggested another military operation could follow if Tehran does not reach an agreement. He referred to the February campaign by saying, 'We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree.'

The memo was first reported by Axios. The State Department's directive to leave Saudi Arabia remains in effect as the administration weighs its next steps regarding Iran.