October 24, 2026
An American intelligence report revealed a dangerous escalation in Iranian threats directed against American diplomats and officials in the Middle East and beyond, warning that assassination plans have reached “advanced stages.” In a development that reflects the severity of security concerns, these threats prompted Washington to reduce its diplomatic presence in a number of countries in the region, amid increasing warnings of the possibility of a broader military confrontation.
According to what journalist Barak Ravid published on the Axios website, based on an intelligence memorandum dated October 23 and addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Iran has “significantly increased” its efforts to target American figures. The one-page memo, which was not classified as classified, indicated that Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned Rubio of the necessity of expanding access to information related to these plans to include employees at risk, while seeking to reduce the level of secrecy to as much of it as possible. Despite the seriousness of the warning, the memorandum did not specify the names of those targeted or the countries concerned outside the Middle East, nor did it reveal the nature of these plans or the methods of their implementation.
In parallel, the US State Department began taking broad security measures, including reducing diplomatic missions. Departure orders were issued for the families of diplomats and non-essential employees from the embassy in Riyadh and the consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran, followed by instructions on Friday to reduce the number of government employees and diplomats in Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan. An American official confirmed that the decision came “due to threats of Houthi attacks and Iranian terrorist plans, and out of a desire to retain only essential employees,” which was what CNN had first revealed.
American concerns are not limited to direct Iranian movements only, but also extend to the fear that the Houthis will expand the scope of their attacks from Yemen to affect other regional countries in addition to Saudi Arabia. These developments coincide with the possibility of renewed US and Israeli military operations against Iran, especially after the US midterm elections. In a related context, US President Donald Trump said during an election rally in Florida on Friday: “We may carry out another small, epic fury operation, or the Iranians will agree to an agreement,” adding: “If they are smart, they will simply say: Let’s get to work, but I doubt they will do that, perhaps because they are not smart.”
With this overlap between intelligence warnings of possible assassinations, decisions to reduce the diplomatic presence in Lebanon and the countries of the region, and the threat of new military operations, the indicators reflect a state of extreme American security alert in anticipation of risks that go beyond traditional confrontation frameworks.
