Americans evacuated across Middle East as US intelligence chief warns Iranian death plot is in 'advanced stages'

The United States has reduced personnel from Middle Eastern embassies as intelligence officials warned that Iran had 'substantially increased efforts to target US personnel' in an unclassified memo.

The October 23 memo was sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, who said the intelligence had been received 'through various channels,' though he did not elaborate.

'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 in the one-page memo, which was first reported by Axios.

A US official confirmed the memo to the Daily Mail on Saturday afternoon.

Also on Saturday, in answer to a question on whether the US will strike Iran again, President Trump said 'there's a possibility I will.'

'There's also a possibility we'll have a nice big beautiful agreement,' Trump added while voting early in Florida.  

In response to a possible escalation from Iran, the US has adjusted staffing at multiple American embassies in the Middle East, including Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The US ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was told in an October 23 memo of a possible deadly escalation from Iran against US citizens in the Middle East and other countries

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton told Rubio that Iran had 'substantially increased efforts to target US personnel' in the memo, which a US official confirmed to the Daily Mail on Saturday

'When it comes to our staffing at embassies, we constantly evaluate new information about the security environment,' a US official told the Daily Mail.

The official added: 'The threat of Houthi attacks and of Iranian terror plots targeting US officials are informing our decisions on staffing adjustments for embassies on [restricted operations status] in the region.'

A State Department official told the Daily Mail on Saturday that Lebanon, UAE, Qatar, and Jordan would see 'temporary changes' to staffing levels under restricted operations.

Unlike Saudi Arabia, staff in these four countries have not been ordered to depart.

There were currently 'no changes' in terms of personnel in Kuwait and Bahrain, the official said.

The official told the Daily Mail that 'staffing levels are constantly evaluated and adjusted' when operating under restricted operations.

The official pointed to a security alert issued on October 18 which noted that the Iranian-backed Houthis had attacked civilian airports and other infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi rebels repeatedly attacked Saudi Arabia's main international airport this month. 

'The hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly beyond that immediate area,' the alert read.

'We have consistently been expansive in our message to Americans in the region to address the possibility of regional effects,' the official told the Daily Mail.

Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe was also copied on the memo to Rubio. 

Nikki Gamer, the spokesperson for the American Foreign Service Association, told CNN that many families in the region were 'understandably upset, confused and angry.'

'This echoes the chaos families experienced earlier this year,' Gamer said. 'Some had barely settled back in before being told to leave again.'

A State Department official pointed to a a security alert issued on October 18 referring to how the Iranian-backed Houthis had attacked airports and other infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, where some diplomats have been told to leave (Photo of King Khalid International Airport)

Rubio was told in the memo that the the 'lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages'

An unnamed US diplomat told the outlet that some families had 'scrambled then to leave their homes in the Middle East in the early weeks of the war and find new housing and schools for their kids.'

In a statement issued Thursday, the American Foreign Service Association said it was 'already hearing accounts of bureaucratic ping-pong' from families.

'After a year of repeated upheaval, diplomatic families deserve more than another round of uncertainty,' the statement read.

The State Department official told the Daily Mail: 'We understand how hard being on Restricted Operations Status, Authorized Departure, or Ordered Departure is for our diplomatic staff and their families.

'We are committed to using every tool available to help families navigate this difficult time, including the added expenses and school enrollment.'

The official added that the department was 'communicating directly with staff affected by these latest changes' and would have more to say in the coming days.

The Trump administration has started preparing to continue strikes on Iran after the midterm elections, the Wall Street Journal reported.

President Donald Trump said Friday during a rally in Florida that 'we may do another little [Operation] Epic Fury'

The strikes on Iran that started the war in February were titled Operation Epic Fury (Photo of Tehran after an explosion on February 28, 2026)

Trump has been briefed on multiple options prepared by the Pentagon and is leaning toward resuming strikes but a final decision has not been made, according to the outlet.

The plans include striking nuclear facilities and infrastructure like bridges and conducting assaults on islands controlled by Iran, the report added.

On Friday, Trump quipped while speaking at a rally in Florida that 'we may do another little [Operation] Epic Fury.'

'If they're smart, they will just say, 'Let's get down to business' but I doubt they'll do that because perhaps they're not smart,' Trump added.

The State Department has also warned of threats in travel advisories for Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment.