Clayton memo: Iran allocates $2 billion for advanced kill plots
The DNI wrote to Secretary Rubio that lethal targeting of U.S. personnel overseas has reached an advanced stage, while the State Department reduces embassy staffing.
By Priya Singh ·
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iran has doubled down on lethal actions against American citizens abroad. The unclassified memo, dated Friday, states that Iranian plotting efforts have advanced to the final phases in the Middle East and specific other countries. CIA Director John Ratcliffe was copied on the correspondence.
The document quantifies the surge in activity by noting a $2 billion increase in funding for these operations. Clayton did not specify which targets or nations are currently under threat. The memo also avoids declaring an imminent attack, though it emphasizes the heightened status of current plans.
This intelligence arrived while the Trump administration deliberated on resuming military strikes against Tehran. Security measures at diplomatic and military sites in the region have tightened in response. The State Department ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to depart Saudi Arabia earlier this week. Other U.S. missions in the area moved to restricted operations status, allowing them to cut personnel without a formal evacuation order.
A U.S. official told CBS News on Friday that the department constantly evaluates the security environment. Houthi attacks and Iranian terror plots are driving staffing decisions at embassies under restricted operations. A U.S. official and a senior military official also confirmed that the military is quietly shrinking its presence at posts in the Middle East due to continuing threats.
Houthi militants, backed by Iran, have targeted Saudi oil infrastructure and airports. One strike on Riyadh's King Khalid Airport earlier this month killed several people, including a U.S. citizen, and injured hundreds. U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates took protective steps last weekend in response to these attacks.
Although the United States and Iran have avoided direct strikes in recent weeks, President Trump has not ruled out restarting hostilities after next month's midterm elections. Iran continues to claim responsibility for attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. At a campaign rally in Florida on Friday, Trump suggested another operation could follow if Tehran does not reach an agreement. "We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree," the president said, referring to the U.S. military campaign launched in February.
Source: CBS News
