WASHINGTON DC — The United States is reducing staffing at four embassies in the Middle East following intelligence warnings that Iran has intensified efforts to target American personnel in the region and beyond, according to U.S. officials and a report by The Associated Press. The staffing reductions affect U.S. embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The diplomatic missions will remain open but will operate under restricted conditions, officials said.
In a memo sent Friday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned that Iran had substantially increased its efforts to target U.S. personnel. Clayton said intelligence assessments indicated that alleged plots targeting American citizens had reached advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries. The memo did not publicly identify specific targets or provide details about the alleged plots.
U.S. officials said concerns about Iranian threats, along with the risk of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, contributed to the decision to reduce staffing at the four embassies. The State Department had cited increased threats from the Houthis when announcing the staffing changes but had not initially publicly identified direct Iranian threats as a reason for the measures.
The latest reductions differ from measures announced earlier in Saudi Arabia, where nonessential U.S. government personnel and their families were ordered to leave the country. Personnel at the four embassies affected by the latest decision have not been ordered to depart, according to the report.
The developments come amid renewed regional fighting and growing concerns about the security of American diplomatic and military personnel. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has also threatened U.S. military bases in the region over American assistance to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway for global energy supplies. Any escalation around the strait could have wider consequences for international shipping, energy markets and regional security.
The staffing changes come as diplomatic efforts to resume formal negotiations between Washington and Tehran continue amid a stalemate in the conflict. President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States could undertake further military action against Iran if Tehran did not agree to negotiations. U.S. officials have denied that the embassy staffing reductions are connected to preparations for potential new U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran.
The situation remains fluid, with Washington balancing diplomatic efforts against security concerns involving American personnel and regional allies. Source: The Associated Press, citing U.S. officials and an intelligence memo. Additional details were reported by Axios.
