U.S. intelligence has warned that Iran’s lethal plots targeting American officials abroad have reached "advanced stages," according to Axios.
An October 23 memo from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran has "substantially increased" efforts to target U.S. personnel in the Middle East and other countries, Axios reported.
The memo did not name specific targets or describe the plots in detail.
U.S. officials said the intelligence is one reason the State Department is cutting staff at embassies across the Middle East, including in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon.
The warning comes amid escalating regional security tensions, raising risks to U.S. personnel and interests abroad and prompting additional protective measures in Washington.