Iranian Officials Confirm Preparations to Target US Diplomats
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Two senior Iranian officials told The New York Times that Iran is preparing to target American diplomats and government officials, citing the killing of Iranian officials by the U.S. and Israel as justification. U.S. intelligence has warned that Iran has significantly increased its efforts and that assassination plots are in advanced stages. This intelligence prompted the U.S. State Department to order non-essential personnel to leave Middle Eastern embassies due to fears of a wider regional conflict.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Iran is preparing to target American diplomats and government officials, according to senior Iranian officials.
- Iranian officials cited the killing of dozens of their compatriots by the U.S. and Israel as justification.
- U.S. intelligence warned of significantly increased Iranian efforts and advanced assassination plots against American officials.
- The U.S. State Department ordered non-essential personnel to leave Middle Eastern embassies due to the threat.
- The U.S. Director of National Intelligence recommended broader sharing of the sensitive threat information.
Two senior Iranian officials, including one from the Revolutionary Guards, have confirmed to The New York Times that Iran is preparing to target American diplomats and government officials. They stated that the killing of dozens of Iranian officials and their family members by the United States and Israel makes Americans "legitimate targets." This report corroborates an earlier disclosure by N12's Washington correspondent, Barak Ravid, that U.S. intelligence is warning of a significant increase in Iranian efforts to target American officials globally, with assassination plots reaching "advanced stages."
According to a declassified one-page memo obtained by N12, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton, alerted Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the need to share this intelligence more broadly among U.S. personnel. The memo does not specify the targets, locations outside the Middle East, or the nature of the plots, but indicates the warning is based on intelligence already shared with senior State Department officials. Clayton recommended declassifying the sensitive information to allow Rubio to disseminate it to personnel who might be at risk.
U.S. officials view this intelligence as a key reason for the State Department's recent order for non-essential family members and staff to leave Middle Eastern embassies, amid growing concerns of a wider regional conflict. Additional security tensions stem from the possibility of the Houthis in Yemen expanding their attacks beyond Saudi Arabia and the potential for the U.S. and Israel to resume military actions against Iran, possibly timed around the U.S. midterm elections.
President Donald Trump, speaking at a rally in Florida, suggested that Iran might agree to a deal, but expressed doubt about their intelligence, stating, "If they are smart, they will just say, 'Let's make a deal.' But I doubt they will do it, because maybe they are not smart."
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