A U.S. intelligence memo issued Friday warned that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target American personnel abroad, with lethal plots reaching advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries.

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton sent the unclassified memo to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating that intelligence agencies had received information through multiple channels indicating the heightened threat. "The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries," Clayton wrote.

The warning prompted the State Department to reduce non-essential personnel and family members at U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Qatar, and Jordan. Officials linked the moves to threats from Iran and Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

The memo, first reported by Axios and confirmed by multiple U.S. officials, noted that Iran may have operatives in the United States and identified potential targets in Europe. Agencies assess the threat level against Americans in the region as the highest since the conflict with Iran began in February.

Clayton offered to downgrade the classification of relevant intelligence to allow wider dissemination among State Department personnel at risk. The developments come as the Trump administration considers additional measures in response to Iranian actions.

U.S. officials stressed that the intelligence reflects Iran's ambitions exceeding its current capabilities in some areas, but the advanced plotting requires heightened vigilance.