US intelligence has warned that Iranian plots to kill Americans abroad have reached advanced stages, prompting the reduction of diplomatic staffing across the Middle East.
What happened
A memorandum from the Director of National Intelligence to the Secretary of State revealed that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel, with lethal plotting efforts reaching advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries.
The warning has led to diplomatic drawdowns, with the State Department reducing its presence in several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Qatar, and Jordan.
US officials have confirmed the authenticity of the memorandum, which does not identify specific targets or disclose the nature of the alleged plots.
The security measures come amid increasingly explicit Iranian threats against American forces and military installations across the region, including a warning from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to extend the conflict to American military bases if US forces continue escorting vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
