US Cuts Embassy Staffing Amid Reports of Advanced Iranian Assassination Plots
By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – United States on Saturday has reduced staffing at 4 embassies in the Middle East after its intelligence agencies warned that suspected Iranian plots to kill American personnel had reached an advanced stage, with potential threats extending beyond the region.
Washington has distinguished mandatory departures in Saudi Arabia from restricted staffing at 4 other embassies, while intelligence officials seek wider circulation of sensitive security assessments, media reports stated.
A confidential security assessment, outlined in an unclassified memo dated October 23, has raised concerns about the safety of US diplomats and officials at a time when President Donald Trump has threatened further military action against Tehran.
According to media reports, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton alerted Secretary of State Marco Rubio to a significant escalation in threats against American personnel.
News media obtained the document and reported that three US officials had confirmed its authenticity.
The memo stated that Iran had “substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel”, while warning that lethal plots had reached “advanced stages” in the Middle East and other countries.
The intelligence warning has emerged alongside security-related staffing reductions at American diplomatic missions in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The four embassies operate under restricted arrangements that allow Washington to reduce personnel without closing its diplomatic facilities, it stated.
The mandatory departure order issued earlier this week for non-emergency US government employees and their families in Saudi Arabia, the latest reductions do not require personnel in the four other countries to leave.
US officials have linked the staffing decisions to threats from Iran and the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen.
The State Department had ordered eligible personnel to leave its embassy in Riyadh and consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran amid increased Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott clarified that the formal ordered departure applied to Saudi Arabia alone, rejecting reports that similar mandatory measures had been imposed across Gulf missions.
Washington has expressed concern that Houthi attacks, which have targeted civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, could pose wider risks to US personnel and diplomatic facilities.
Clayton’s October 23 memorandum also raised concerns about how widely the intelligence had been distributed within the US government.
According to media reports the intelligence chief informed Rubio that senior State Department officials had already received the relevant information but that additional personnel might need access to assess their own exposure to potential threats.
Clayton offered to reduce classification restrictions on sensitive material wherever possible to facilitate wider circulation.
The reported memo did not disclose operational details of the suspected assassination plans or establish whether any individual plot had been disrupted.
The security developments coincide with fresh warnings from Trump, who has left open the possibility of renewed US strikes against Iran.
US President at a rally in Florida referred to Operation Epic Fury, the name used by the American military for its campaign against Iran.
“We may do another little Epic Fury, or they’ll agree,” Trump told supporters.
He suggested that Tehran could avoid further confrontation through negotiations but did not announce a new operation or provide a timeline for possible military action.
His comments came after an unresolved conflict between Washington and Tehran, which began with US-Israeli military strikes in late February.
According to US media reports American military officials have acknowledged reductions in the US troop presence at some Middle Eastern facilities amid regional security concerns.
US officials have denied that the latest embassy staffing changes are linked to preparations for new American or Israeli strikes against Iran.
The immediate concern for Washington is the protection of diplomatic personnel as intelligence agencies assess reported threats that extend beyond the Middle East, with the identities of potential targets still undisclosed.
