US Intel warns Iran boosting efforts to target Americans in Mideast

Iran has ramped up efforts to target Americans overseas, with lethal plots reaching “advanced stages” as the Trump administration weighs renewed military strikes against Tehran, new intelligence is warning.

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton alerted Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the threat in a letter Friday, warning that Iran had “substantially increased efforts to target US personnel,” according to a memo first obtained by Axios.

“The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries,” Clayton wrote.

US intelligence is warning Iran may ramp up efforts to target Americans overseas. AFP via Getty Images

The one-page, unclassified memo did not identify specific targets or countries outside the Middle East, or say whether any attacks were imminent.

The warning came as Washington pulled back its diplomatic presence across the region amid escalating threats from Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen.

Jay Clayton, the Director of National Intelligence, spelled out the threat in a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Brian Zak/NY Post

Earlier this week, the State Department ordered non-emergency US government personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia. On Friday, it announced staffing reductions at four other US embassies — in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — without ordering personnel to depart.

Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, told a podcaster there “absolutely” could be a US strike on Iran this weekend — despite prior statements from the White House that there would be no such attack before the midterm elections Nov. 3.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had already ordered US diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia. Kylie Cooper/Pool Reuters via AP

That comment prompted a response from President Trump on Friday when asked about it.

“That was my ambassador to Turkey? He’s a pretty powerful man, I guess,” the president said in Florida, alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.). “Well, if that’s the case, I don’t know anything about it.”

The US embassy headquarters in Riyadh is pictured, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, after it was hit by drone strikes earlier. Fighting with the Houthis poses a risk to US personnel. AFP via Getty Images

Trump, at a Friday night rally in Ft. Myers, referenced the return of US warships — with another military deployment on deck closer to home.

“We’ll do a little stopover,” the president said. “Actually, what we’re going to do with Cuba is, we’re going to come back from Iran. Those beautiful ships will pass Cuba. We’ll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast. They’ll raise up their hands. And then we’re going to send Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal.”

President Donald Trump brushed off a comment by a US diplomat who said a US attack on Iran could come this weekend. Getty Images

US warships are making preparations for another potential military escalation in the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday from aboard the USS George Washington, one of two US aircraft carriers in the region.

“We are always prepared,” said Capt. Nicholas DeLeo, commanding officer of USS George Washington. “We’re always paying attention, focused on our surroundings and ready to react reflexively or proactively.”

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