The US Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton, has warned that Iranian efforts to target American personnel abroad have intensified, with plots to kill US citizens reaching advanced stages.
What happened
Clayton wrote in a memo that the intelligence community has received information through various channels that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel. The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries.
The warning comes as the US State Department reduces staffing at several diplomatic missions across the Middle East, including embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The department has also ordered non-emergency government employees and all family members to leave Saudi Arabia amid escalating threats from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militants.
The Houthi attacks have added another front to the regional conflict, with the Saudi-led coalition intercepting two ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu on Saturday. The Houthis have also claimed attacks against Saudi oil facilities, airports, and military sites.
The US administration has continued to threaten further action against Iran if it does not agree to a deal, with President Trump saying that the US may take further military action. The administration has also enforced a naval blockade on Iranian trade, while negotiations to restart formal talks have stalled.
