While US Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned on Friday that Iran has “significantly intensified” its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond, other US officials suggested that Iranian operatives may be present inside the United States.
One official said that President Donald Trump and his senior aides were receiving regular briefings on the growing Iranian threats, which extend beyond the Middle East.
The official added that analysts had been reviewing intelligence related to threats against US officials, including ambassadors, for three weeks, and that some of the information pointed to the possible presence of Iranian operatives inside the United States.
Officials also noted that potential Iranian plans could include targets in Europe, according to The New York Times.
Another official warned, however, that Tehran’s ability to carry out attacks inside the United States or in other regions abroad remained limited, and that its ambitions to launch strikes exceeded its actual capabilities.
Details of the Intelligence Memo
The memo, sent by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, addressed potential threats against US officials and diplomats abroad.
The memo also noted that it had become clear that some intelligence information and analysis pointed to Iranian efforts to target US government officials in the Middle East and other regions.
“We have received intelligence through multiple channels indicating that Iran has significantly intensified its efforts to target American individuals,” Clayton said in the memo.
He added that the information indicated that “Iranian plots to carry out assassinations targeting American citizens have reached advanced stages, both in the Middle East and in certain other countries.”
On Friday, the US State Department decided to reduce staffing levels at four US embassies in the Middle East after receiving intelligence indicating that Iran had intensified its efforts to target American personnel in the region and elsewhere.
Despite reducing their staffing levels and restricting their operations, however, the embassies will remain open and continue carrying out their duties.
These developments come amid the possibility of renewed US and Israeli military operations against Iran, as regional tensions escalate.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of launching a new military operation against Iran if it failed to reach an agreement with Washington. Despite the seriousness of the warnings contained in the memo, they represent a US intelligence assessment of potential plots and do not mean that assassinations have taken place or that the alleged plots have been confirmed as having been carried out.
