US withdraws diplomats from Middle East after Iran attack warning

The United States has secretly withdrawn diplomats from several Middle Eastern countries due to intelligence warnings of a heightened risk of Iranian attacks on American targets, CNN reported Saturday. The move follows an intelligence report received by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, warning that Iran has "significantly increased efforts to target American personnel," with planning reaching "advanced stages" in the Middle East and other nations. This week, the U.S. also pulled non-essential staff and families from its embassy in Riyadh amid intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. The State Department confirmed only Saudi Arabia is affected, despite earlier reports citing other nations. The U.S. ambassador to Turkey suggested an attack on Iran could occur this weekend, though President Trump denied knowledge of such plans.