Iran has stepped up efforts to target US personnel in the Middle East and elsewhere, NBC News reports, citing a memo sent on Friday by Jay Clayton, the US intelligence chief, to Marco Rubio, the secretary of state.
The memo, first reported by Axios and confirmed as authentic by a US official, said Iranian plotting against US citizens had reached advanced stages. Clayton said he would try to declassify as much as possible so it could be shared with State Department staff.
The State Department has ordered further staff cuts at posts including Lebanon, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan, and put the US embassy in Saudi Arabia under ordered departure. A US official said Houthi attacks and Iranian plots were behind the decisions.
President Trump said on Friday he was considering another operation against Iran, after military officials presented him with options for new strikes.
Source: NBC News
