US Pulls Diplomats From Middle East as Iran Intensifies Assassination Plots

US intelligence has found Iran has "substantially increased" efforts to target American diplomats and officials in the Middle East, with lethal plots reaching "advanced stages," according to a memo from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The unclassified memo, dated 23 October, warns that intelligence on Iranian assassination plots needs broader sharing among US personnel. The State Department has reduced staffing at embassies in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan, citing threats from Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Iranian terror plots. President Donald Trump suggested possible renewed US military action against Iran if Tehran does not agree to a deal, referencing "Operation Epic Fury." The memo does not identify specific targets or plot details, but Clayton offered to declassify intelligence for wider circulation among at-risk personnel.