New intelligence suggests that Iran has significantly intensified its attempts to target Americans abroad, with plans reportedly reaching “advanced stages.” This comes as the Trump administration considers military action against Tehran.
In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton expressed concern about Iran’s increased efforts to harm U.S. personnel. The memo, first reported by Axios, revealed that “the lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries.”
The memo was brief and did not specify any particular targets or countries outside the Middle East, nor did it indicate whether any attacks were likely to occur soon.
This alert coincided with the United States withdrawing some diplomatic staff from the region in light of rising threats from Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen.
Earlier this week, the State Department ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel and their families from Saudi Arabia. Additionally, on Friday, staffing reductions were announced for four other U.S. embassies, including those in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, although no evacuation orders were issued.
Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, suggested during a podcast that a military strike on Iran could be imminent, contradicting previous White House statements claiming no attacks would occur prior to the midterm elections on November 3.
This assertion elicited a reaction from President Trump when asked about it. He remarked in Florida, “That was my ambassador to Turkey? He’s a pretty powerful man, I guess. Well, if that’s the case, I don’t know anything about it.”
At a rally in Ft. Myers, Trump touched on the U.S. military’s movements, referencing warships returning and indicating they would pass by Cuba while making their way back from Iran. “We’ll do a little stopover,” he said.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, U.S. warships are gearing up for possible military escalation in the Middle East, with the USS George Washington among the vessels in the region. Capt. Nicholas DeLeo, the commanding officer, stated, “We are always prepared… focused on our surroundings and ready to react reflexively or proactively.”
