📰 6 sources 9 articles · 24 Oct 2026, 03:44 → 47 minutes ago

US intelligence memo warns of Iranian plots to target American officials, staff reduced at Middle East embassies

A US intelligence memo dated 23 October, sent by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, revealed that Iran has intensified efforts to target American diplomats and officials in the Middle East and beyond, with assassination plots reaching advanced stages. The information prompted the State Department to reduce staffing at four embassies in the region and relocate diplomats and their families, while keeping the embassies open.

📍 Where things stand: The US embassies concerned remain open after staffing was reduced and diplomats and their families were relocated, while President Trump hinted at a possible new military operation against Iran.

⏱️ Timeline

24 Oct 2026, 03:44 US intelligence revealed in a memo dated 23 October that Iran has markedly intensified its efforts to target American diplomats and officials in the Middle East and beyond, and that assassination plots had reached advanced stages. US officials said this information was one of the reasons the State Department decided to reduce staff at several embassies in the region, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dhahran, the UAE, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan, amid fears of threats.
24 Oct 2026, 05:28 The United States decided to reduce the number of staff at four of its embassies in the Middle East amid growing threats from Iran.
24 Oct 2026, 09:28 Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned in a memo addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iran has greatly intensified its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond. US officials suggested Iranian elements were present inside the United States and indicated that the potential plans also include targets in Europe, while the State Department decided to reduce staffing at four embassies in the Middle East while keeping them open.
24 Oct 2026, 11:00 A report by Axios said US intelligence detected a significant increase in Iran's efforts to target American diplomats and officials in the Middle East and beyond, with assassination plots reaching advanced stages. According to a memo from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, staffing was reduced and diplomats and their families were relocated from embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE, following earlier similar measures in Saudi Arabia.
24 Oct 2026, 12:35 US intelligence warned in a memo to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that "deadly" Iranian plots to target American diplomats and officials in the Middle East and beyond had reached advanced stages. The information prompted a reduction of staff at a number of US embassies, while Trump hinted at a possible new military operation against Iran.
24 Oct 2026, 15:35 A report carried by i24NEWS said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio received an intelligence memo dated 23 October, sent by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, warning that Iran has markedly intensified its efforts to target American officials and citizens and that plans to carry out lethal attacks had reached advanced stages. According to the document, US intelligence agencies received information through multiple channels indicating a significant Iranian escalation in this context.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

⚠️ Sources disagree

Number of embassies affected by the staffing reduction

Four embassies in the Middle East according to شبكة تواصل الإخبارية
Several embassies, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dhahran, the UAE, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan (in the 03:44 article) according to annahar.com
Embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE after earlier similar measures in Saudi Arabia according to Euronews.com

Figures as each outlet reported them at the time. We do not judge which is correct; numbers often change as events develop.

How the sources covered it

Some coverage focused on the details and provenance of the intelligence memo and who received it, while others focused on the administrative decision to cut staff and relocate diplomats and their families, and a fifth report addressed the military dimension by noting a possible US operation against Iran.

annahar.com It led with the details of the intelligence memo dated 23 October and the number of diplomatic locations involved (Riyadh, Jeddah, Dhahran, the UAE, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan), quoted US officials, and later mentioned the possibility of Iranian elements inside the United States and potential targets in Europe while noting the embassies remained open.
شبكة تواصل الإخبارية It gave only a brief account of the US decision to reduce staff at four embassies in the Middle East because of Iranian threats, without mentioning the memo, officials' names or the countries concerned.
Euronews.com It relied on an Axios report and focused on the relocation of diplomats and their families from the embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE after earlier similar measures in Saudi Arabia.
مونت كارلو الدولية It described the plots as "deadly" and highlighted President Trump's hint at a possible new military operation against Iran, alongside a reference to the reduction of embassy staff.
i24NEWS It focused on the document itself: its 23 October date, its sender Jay Clayton and its recipient Marco Rubio, and on intelligence agencies obtaining information through multiple channels indicating a significant Iranian escalation.