The State Department is reducing staff at four U.S. embassies in the Middle East. The cuts follow intelligence that Iran has stepped up efforts to target American personnel in the region and elsewhere 1. The embassies are in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates 1.
What the memo says
On Friday, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton sent a memo to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He wrote that his teams "have received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel" 1. The Associated Press obtained the memo, and three U.S. officials confirmed it was sent 1.
The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries
CBS News reported that the memo was unclassified and that CIA Director John Ratcliffe was copied. It does not name specific targets or countries, and it does not say whether attacks are imminent 2. Clayton also said the intelligence community is working to downgrade sensitive intelligence so it can be shared more widely with State Department personnel 2.
What changes at the embassies
All four embassies were already under "restricted operations" status, which had shrunk their staffs. They will stay open 1. Unlike in Saudi Arabia, where nonessential U.S. personnel and their families were ordered to leave on Wednesday, staff in these four countries are not forced to depart 1.
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This week the State Department pointed to increased threats from Yemen's Houthi rebels. It did not mention threats directly from Iran 1. Three U.S. officials said both the Iranian and Houthi threats are related to the staffing changes 1. The Houthis are an Iranian-backed militant group 1.
A U.S. official told CBS, "When it comes to our staffing at embassies, we constantly evaluate new information about the security environment." The official cited Houthi and Iranian threats 2. CBS also reported that the U.S. military has quietly reduced its footprint at Middle East posts 2.
The political backdrop
U.S. officials have adamantly denied that the drawdowns are tied to any new U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran 1. The war has driven up energy costs for Americans. It has also created political problems for President Donald Trump and Republicans, who are trying to keep control of Congress in the Nov. 3 midterm elections 1.
Speaking at a rally in Florida on Friday, Trump said, "we may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree" 1. "Epic Fury" is the name given to the U.S. military operations in Iran 1. CBS reported that Trump has not ruled out resuming hostilities with Iran after the midterms 2.
Iranian state television reported that the Revolutionary Guard navy again threatened to strike U.S. bases in the region. The threat is tied to U.S. help guiding commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy trade 1. Mediators are trying to bring Washington and Tehran back to formal talks, as the war has reached a stalemate 1.
Why it matters
That matters because the war's risks now reach diplomats, their families and troops stationed across the region. Earlier this month, a Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid Airport killed at least a dozen people, including a U.S. citizen, and injured hundreds 2.
The public record so far leaves open how specific the Iranian plots are, and who or where the targets may be. We could not find a Democratic response to the memo as of Saturday. We will update this story if lawmakers ask for a briefing.
The Record
- The State Department ordered nonessential U.S. personnel and their families out of Saudi Arabia. 1
- DNI Jay Clayton sent Secretary of State Marco Rubio a memo saying Iranian plots against Americans have reached advanced stages. 12
- The State Department's staffing reductions at embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE became public. 1
Sources
- ABC News (AP), “US is reducing staffing at 4 Middle East embassies over increased threats from Iran” (2026-10-24). abcnews.com/US/wireStory/us-reducing-staffing-4-middle-east-
- CBS News, “Iran has "increased efforts to target U.S. personnel," intel chief warns” (2026-10-23). cbsnews.com/news/iran-target-u-s-personnel
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