Iran trying harder to target US personnel in Middle East, intelligence chief warns

The BBC reports that Clayton's memo was marked unclassified and sent to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday.[1] According to the BBC, it said: "The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries."[1]CBS News reports that the memo does not identify specific targets or countries where the alleged plots are underway[2]. According to CBS News, it was issued as the Trump administration weighs resuming military strikes against Iran[2].NBC News reports that Clayton told Rubio the risk is "relevant to more individuals than are currently cleared to receive this information"[3], and that Clayton promised to downgrade intelligence so it could be shared with State Department staff.The BBC says the warning comes as the State Department adjusts staffing in the region, including the ordered departure earlier this week of non-emergency US embassy staff from Saudi Arabia[1]. According to the Jerusalem Post, Axios reported that further cuts to US diplomatic staff were ordered at embassies in the UAE, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan.[4]A US official told CBS News that "the threat of Houthi attacks and of Iranian terror plots targeting U.S. officials are informing our decisions on staffing adjustments"[2].The Times of Israel reports that, according to the New York Times, US agencies have rated the threat to Americans as being at the highest level since the war started in February[5].The Jerusalem Post reports that Trump said on Friday: "We may do another little Epic Fury. Or they'll agree"[4].