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U.S. intel memo says Iran plots against Americans abroad are advanced
ABC News reported that a Director of National Intelligence memo dated Oct. 23 said Iran had increased efforts to target U.S. officials and that lethal plotting had reached advanced stages.
- New headline Was: “Iran live updates: Iranian plotting against US citizens abroad in 'advanced stages'”
- Our desk filed its story
- New headline Was: “IRGC Navy says seven vessels hit near Hormuz; U.S. disputes the claims”
- New headline Was: “Iran live updates: IRGC Navy claims attacks on 4 vessels in Persian Gulf”
- Our desk filed its story
4 earlier updates
- Still developing
- Al Jazeera is now reporting this
- ABC News is now reporting this
- New headline Was: “Iran's IRGC Navy says seven vessels hit, warns US of wider response”
The U.S. intelligence community told the State Department that Iran has increased efforts to target American officials overseas, according to an unclassified memo described by ABC News1.
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton wrote Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iran had "substantially increased" those efforts, ABC News reported, citing a memo dated Oct. 231.
Clayton wrote that lethal plotting against U.S. citizens had reached advanced stages in the Middle East and in certain other countries, according to the account1.
A U.S. official confirmed the memo's authenticity, ABC News said1.
Clayton also said senior members of Rubio's staff had been briefed and that he would try to downgrade as much of the intelligence as possible so it could be shared more widely in the department, the report said1.
On embassy staffing, the unnamed official said new information about the security environment is evaluated constantly1.
The official said threats of Houthi attacks and of Iranian plots targeting U.S. officials were informing staffing adjustments for embassies on restricted operating status in the region1.
ABC News placed the memo against stalled U.S.-Iran talks after a June memorandum of understanding, a U.S. blockade of Iranian shipping, Iranian claims over the Strait of Hormuz, and fighting in Yemen involving Iran-backed Houthi forces1.
The live report did not name specific plots, countries beyond a general Middle East reference, or whether any attack had been disrupted1.
