Memo Warns Iran's Plots Target US Personnel

On Oct. 23, 2026, DNI Jay Clayton sent Secretary of State Marco Rubio a declassified memo saying Iran has substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel, with lethal plotting against U.S. citizens at advanced stages in the Middle East and certain other countries. A copy went to CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Axios first reported it; a U.S. official confirmed the memo Friday night. The State Department ordered nonessential personnel and families to leave Saudi Arabia—Embassy Riyadh and consulates Jeddah and Dhahran—and reduced staffing Friday at embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE. Officials cited Houthi attacks and the alleged Iranian plots in those decisions. The memo named no targets beyond U.S. government officials in the Middle East and certain other countries. Contested: A State Department spokesperson told The Hill the hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly, including beyond that immediate area. NewsCord, relaying The New York Times, reported U.S. agencies assess the threat against Americans in the Middle East and other countries as highest since the war began in February. No rated outlet disputes the memo’s existence or the personnel orders. Unnamed specific plots, targets, and attack plans remain outside the public record.