The United States has raised fresh security concerns over Iran, warning that Tehran has significantly intensified efforts to target American personnel in the Middle East and other parts of the world, amid escalating regional tensions and renewed fears of military confrontation.
US national intelligence chief Jay Clayton issued the warning on Friday, citing intelligence indicating that alleged Iranian plots against American citizens had advanced to serious stages.
The development comes as Washington orders non-essential embassy personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia following a surge in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, an Iran-backed group that has increasingly targeted the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has faced near-daily attacks from the Houthis this month, including a strike on Riyadh’s international airport that was reported to be the kingdom’s deadliest in years.
According to a US official, Clayton outlined the intelligence assessment in a memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The document, first reported by Axios, warned that alleged plots against US citizens had reached advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries.
Washington has previously ordered non-essential diplomatic staff to leave parts of the Gulf amid security concerns, including ahead of the conflict with Iran and again in July, before President Donald Trump called off a planned new wave of strikes.
A US official said embassy staffing decisions were being guided by continuous assessments of the security environment, with the threat of Houthi attacks and alleged Iranian plots against American officials among the factors under consideration.
Meanwhile, Trump signalled the possibility of renewed military action against Iran, raising concerns that the conflict could intensify further.
He referred to the prospect of another round of operations under the US military codename Operation Epic Fury but gave no timeline.
The confrontation began in late February when US and Israeli forces launched attacks on Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader and several senior military commanders.
With Washington warning of potential threats to its citizens and considering further military action, the latest developments threaten to deepen instability across the Middle East and widen the scope of an already volatile conflict.
