The warning was conveyed in a memo from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Clayton’s memo said that Iranian efforts to carry out lethal plots against U.S. citizens had reached advanced stages in the Middle East and certain other countries. The reports do not identify specific intended targets or countries beyond those broad regions.
The four embassies will remain open under restricted-operations status, and U.S. personnel in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are not being compelled to leave. That distinguishes the measure from Saudi Arabia, where nonessential U.S. personnel and their families were ordered to depart.
The reports also place the changes within a wider regional security picture involving Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia. PBS NewsHour and Clarín reported that the State Department’s announcement specifically cited increased Houthi threats and did not directly mention Iranian threats to U.S. personnel, while Times of India characterized the staffing reductions as following threats from Iran. The reports connect both concerns to the broader security measures, but do not establish their relative operational contribution.
Clayton’s memo was dated October 23, 2026, and the supplied articles were published or updated on October 24. Those dates do not establish when the staffing reductions took effect or when they will be completed. The reports also do not specify how many personnel will be withdrawn from each embassy.