U.S. reduces staffing at four Middle East embassies amid warnings of Iranian plots

The United States is reducing staffing at embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates after intelligence agencies warned that Iran had intensified efforts to target Americans, according to U.S. officials and a memo reported by multiple outlets.

In the October 23 memo to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton wrote that Iran had “substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel” and that lethal plots against U.S. citizens had reached “advanced stages” in the Middle East and certain other countries. The unclassified document did not identify potential targets, locations outside the region or the nature of the alleged plots.

The four embassies, which were already operating with restricted staffing, will remain open. Personnel there are not being ordered to leave, unlike nonessential U.S. staff and family members in Saudi Arabia. U.S. officials said threats from Iran and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement were related to the staffing changes. The State Department had publicly cited increased Houthi threats when announcing the drawdowns.

Officials denied that the reductions were connected to preparations for new U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. However, President Donald Trump said at a Florida rally Friday that the United States “may do another little Epic Fury,” referring to previous U.S. military operations against Iran, unless Tehran agrees to negotiate. He did not provide details about possible action.