US Intelligence Chief Warns Rubio of Advanced Iranian Plots Against Americans

In an unclassified memo dated October 23, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iran had substantially increased efforts to target US personnel. He said lethal plots against US citizens had reached advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries. The memo did not name targets or specific countries and did not say attacks were imminent. Clayton said officials were working to downgrade sensitive intelligence for wider sharing with State Department staff; a US official said Iranian plots and Houthi threats were informing staffing decisions at embassies operating under restrictions.