US warns of final phase Iranian plots against Americans abroad

US intelligence officials are sounding a very serious alarm right now. A classified memo sent by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio reveals that Iranian plots against Americans abroad have moved into their final phases. This specific warning has forced Washington to put its diplomatic staff on high alert throughout the Middle East. The situation feels tense because US and Israeli leaders seem ready to launch another military strike against Iran anytime soon. Tehran has already said it will hit back hard, possibly by cutting undersea cables in the Gulf if attacked again.

The threat level is so high that Washington is pulling back its own people from dangerous areas. This happens even as they deal with ongoing violence from Houthi fighters backed by Iran. The New York Times reported that US agencies believe these threats to American citizens are at their peak since the current war started in February. Some intelligence suggests Iranian operatives might already be working inside the United States itself, though officials say Tehran lacks the power to pull off every attack it wants.

President Donald Trump recently hinted that America could unleash another major offensive using a special codename for the conflict. He mentioned this possibility just before the upcoming mid-term elections next month. Because of these looming dangers, the State Department announced on Wednesday that non-essential workers must leave the embassy in Saudi Arabia immediately. Other diplomatic posts across the region have quietly seen their staff numbers drop as well. The question remains whether global oil supplies can handle a renewed war or if this crisis will spill into Europe and beyond.

CNN reports that embassies across the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Lebanon face immediate danger. A senior US official told the New York Times that Houthi attacks and Iranian terror plots against American officials are forcing tough staffing choices right now. Has Iran stepped forward to answer these serious allegations? Tehran has remained silent regarding the intelligence memo accusing it of planning strikes on US personnel. Yet Iranian leaders have repeatedly threatened and executed attacks on US bases and those of allies in the region. The Pentagon confirmed that 21 military personnel died in the Middle East since the war on Iran started. On Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Tehran would launch a new offensive strategy if the United States renewed its attacks. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said this means operations will no longer be limited to simple retaliation. He added that Iranian missiles now possess greater range and power. Reuters cited two senior security officials who revealed deep plans to target undersea cables in the Gulf during new US-Israeli strikes. Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei previously warned that data centers and artificial intelligence facilities could also come under fire if war resumes. US authorities have long accused Iran of plotting attacks on Americans, including assassination attempts against Donald Trump on American soil. In March this year, a Pakistani national faced conviction in a US court for plotting to kill Trump and other politicians on IRGC orders. An Iranian guard member was charged in 2022 with trying to murder former National Security Advisor John Bolton. The Department of Justice stated the suspect allegedly tried to pay individuals $300,000 to carry out the murder in Washington DC or Maryland. Last year, the intelligence community warned Iran would continue directly threatening US persons globally, specifically targeting officials linked to the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani. This month the US abruptly pulled bombers from an airbase in England after security concerns arose. The UK arrested several men on suspicion of working with Iranian intelligence following a specific incident at that base.