Spy chief warns Tehran doubled down on killing plots

Jay Clayton, the Director of National Intelligence, told Marco Rubio that Iran has substantially increased its efforts to target U.S. personnel overseas. In an unclassified memo dated Friday, Clayton stated that Iranian plots to kill Americans have progressed to advanced stages. The document was also shared with CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Clayon wrote that lethal plotting efforts by Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in the Middle East and certain other countries. The memo does not name specific targets or identify the countries where these plots are being developed. It also does not indicate whether any specific attack is imminent.

The intelligence community is currently working to downgrade the classification of sensitive information gathered through various channels. This step is intended to allow more State Department staff to access the data. Clayton noted that this process is necessary to share intelligence more widely with diplomatic teams.

The warning arrives as the administration weighs whether to resume 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 personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia. Several other U.S. embassies in the region have moved to restricted operations status, which allows them to reduce staff without a formal departure order.

A U.S. official stated that the department constantly evaluates new information about the security environment. The threat of Houthi attacks and Iranian terror plots is shaping staffing decisions at embassies on restricted operations status. Military officials said the U.S. has been quietly shrinking its presence at posts in the Middle East due to these continuing threats.

Houthi militants backed by Iran have targeted Saudi oil infrastructure and airports. One strike on Riyadh's King Khalid Airport earlier this month killed a U.S. citizen and others while injuring hundreds. In response, U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates took security steps last weekend.

The United States and Iran have avoided direct strikes in recent weeks, but President Trump has not ruled out restarting hostilities after the midterm elections. Iran continues to claim responsibility for attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at a rally in Florida on Friday, Trump suggested another operation could follow if Tehran does not reach an agreement, referencing the military campaign launched in February.