DNI Orders Staff Cuts Amid Iran Plots
A memo from Jay Clayton warns of lethal threats, prompting withdrawals from seven regional missions.
By Ayanda Boateng ·
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reduce staffing levels at seven US missions in the Middle East. The internal directive, first reported by Axios, states that intelligence agencies have identified Iran in the "advanced stages" of planning lethal attacks on American personnel overseas.
Clayton’s memo indicates that Tehran has substantially increased its efforts to target US officials abroad. The State Department announced Wednesday that it is removing non-essential staff from its embassy in Saudi Arabia. This move cites escalating attacks on Saudi infrastructure by the Iran-backed Houthis. Reports from CNN indicate similar quiet reductions are occurring at embassies in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon.
US officials described the threat level in the region as the highest since the US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28. The New York Times noted that threats to ambassadors have been assessed in recent weeks. Some intelligence suggests Iranian operatives are active inside the United States. One official told the Times that while the memo is authentic, Iran lacks the capacity to follow through on all its ambitions.
President Donald Trump commented on the situation on Friday. He said the US "may do another little epic fury," referencing the codename for the ongoing conflict. This remark comes amid reports that Washington and Jerusalem are preparing for a new military campaign after the mid-term elections in November.
Iran has not publicly responded to the intelligence memo. However, Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hossein Mohebbi stated on Wednesday that Tehran would adopt a new "offensive" strategy if the US renewed attacks. Mohebbi claimed the quality, range, and power of Iranian missiles had improved. The Pentagon has confirmed that 21 US military personnel have been killed in the Middle East since the war started.
Reuters reported that Tehran has detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf. Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned that data centers and artificial intelligence facilities could also be hit if war resumes. US authorities have a history of accusing Iran of plotting against Americans, including the 2022 charge against a Guard member for attempting to arrange the killing of John Bolton for $300,000.
The recent diplomatic withdrawals follow a security incident at an airbase in England this month. US authorities pulled bombers from the site after UK authorities arrested several men on suspicion of working with Iranian intelligence. A US court also convicted a Pakistani national in March for plotting to assassinate Trump on the orders of the Revolutionary Guard.
