Washington Signals Heightened Iranian Threats by Reducing Diplomatic Footprint

United States intelligence agencies have determined that Iran has reached the advanced stages of planning lethal attacks against American personnel abroad. This assessment, shared in an internal memo from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, places US staff in the Middle East on high alert. The documents, first cited by Axios and The New York Times, indicate that Tehran has significantly escalated its efforts to target US officials in both the Middle East and other regions.

The threat level is described as the highest since the US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28. Recent intelligence suggests that Iranian operatives are already active within the United States, while specific threats have been assessed against American ambassadors in Europe. Although Washington has not issued a public statement regarding the memo, a US official confirmed its authenticity to The Times. Another official noted that while the intentions are clear, Iran may lack the full capacity to execute all of its ambitions.

In response to the escalating danger, the State Department announced on Wednesday that it is removing non-essential staff from its embassy in Saudi Arabia. This decision cites increasing attacks on Saudi infrastructure by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. Media reports indicate that similar quiet staff reductions are occurring at missions in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon. A US official stated that Houthi strikes and Iranian terror plots targeting US officials are driving these strategic withdrawals.

Tehran has not publicly responded to the intelligence memo, but its leadership continues to voice strong threats. Hossein Mohebbi, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guard, declared on Wednesday that Iran would shift to a new offensive strategy if the US renewed attacks. He emphasized that Iran would no longer limit itself to retaliation and noted improvements in the quality and range of its missiles. The Pentagon has confirmed that 21 US military personnel have been killed in the Middle East since the start of the conflict.

Additional reporting from Reuters suggests that Tehran has detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf if new US-Israeli attacks occur. Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's security chief, warned that data centers and artificial intelligence facilities across the region could also be struck if the war resumes. These warnings come as President Donald Trump hinted on Friday that the US may launch another major operation using the codename for the ongoing war, potentially after next month's mid-term elections.

The current tensions follow a long history of US accusations against Iran. In March, a Pakistani national was convicted in a US court for plotting to assassinate President Trump and other politicians on orders from the Revolutionary Guard. Previous incidents include the 2022 charges against a Guard member for attempting to arrange the killing of former national security adviser John Bolton. This month, US authorities also withdrew bombers from an airbase in England following a security incident that led to the arrest of several men suspected of working with Iranian intelligence.