Iran has increased efforts to target U.S.personnel in the Middle East and other countries, according to a memo sent by the Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday.The memo warned that “the lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S.
citizens have reached advanced stages.” A U.S.official confirmed the authenticity of the memo first reported by Axios.The intelligence comes days after sources told NBC News the U.S.
military has quietly been scaling back its troop presence at bases across the Middle East.The State Department ordered a further reduction in staff at multiple diplomatic posts in the region, including Lebanon, UAE, Qatar and Jordan, according to a State Department official.
Those posts have already been placed on a “Restricted Operations” status and have been functioning with limited staffing since the start of the war.Clayton told Rubio in the memo that the risk is “relevant to more individuals than are currently cleared to receive this information,” adding: “We will make every effort to downgrade as much intelligence as possible so you can share it with State Department personnel at your discretion.”The reduction of American forces and diplomatic personnel is similar to drawdowns at bases and embassies that the Defense Department and the State Department initiated around the start of the war with Iran in February.“When it comes to our staffing at embassies, we constantly evaluate new information about the security environment,” a U.S.official said.
“The threat of Houthi attacks and of Iranian terror plots targeting U.S.officials are informing our decisions on staffing adjustments for embassies on Restricted Status in the region.”President Donald Trump said this week that he was considering another operation against Iran, after months of strikes on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and limited progress toward a long-term ceasefire.“We may do another little Epic Fury,�...