US Cuts Embassy Staffing at Four Middle East Posts

The United States is cutting embassy staffing at its missions in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates after receiving intelligence that Iran has stepped up efforts to target American personnel in the region and beyond, the State Department announced on Friday.

The move followed an unclassified memorandum sent on Friday by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In it, Clayton wrote that intelligence teams "have received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel." He added that "the lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries," according to the document.

The Associated Press obtained the memorandum, which Axios reported earlier. Three U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed that the memorandum was sent to Rubio in his capacity as secretary of state and national security adviser. CIA Director John Ratcliffe was copied on the document, according to reports of its contents.

The memorandum did not identify specific targets, name the countries outside the Middle East involved, or say whether an attack was imminent, according to reporting on its contents. Clayton offered to downgrade as much of the underlying intelligence as possible so that State Department personnel who might be at risk could be informed, the reports said. The warning had already been shared with senior officials cleared to receive it.

U.S. officials said the threats from Iran and Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels are related to the staffing changes. The Houthis have stepped up attacks on Saudi targets in recent days, including a drone attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam that killed one person and injured eight, according to reports. American officials also fear the rebels could broaden attacks beyond Saudi Arabia to other countries in the region.

Posts stay open under restricted operations

The four missions were already operating under what is known as restricted operations status, with reduced personnel footprints, before the latest reductions. They will remain open, and staff at the posts have not been ordered to leave. The State Department has not publicly detailed how many personnel are affected at each mission.

The distinction matters because the new measures are precautionary staffing reductions, not closures or a general evacuation order. Employees at the posts are not subject to the kind of mandatory departure order issued for Saudi Arabia, where nonessential U.S. personnel and their families were ordered on Wednesday to leave the country.

For diplomatic families, the disruption is familiar. Many had only recently returned to their posts after being ordered out during the height of the February war between the United States and Iran, and now face a second upheaval within months. Nikki Gamer, a spokesperson for the American Foreign Service Association, told CNN that families were upset and confused, saying: "They are understandably upset, confused, and angry."

Denials and the wider standoff

U.S. officials have denied that the staffing reductions are connected to possible new strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran. President Donald Trump added to the uncertainty at a rally in Florida on Friday, saying the United States might launch another limited military operation or that Iran might agree to a deal.

The security moves come as regional tensions ripple through energy markets, with oil prices surging on reports of fresh strike plans for Iran. Israel, meanwhile, is heading toward a general election, with the contest between Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot deadlocked in polling. The timing has left diplomats and markets watching Washington for the next signal.

For now, the practical effect is narrower consular capacity at the posts and heightened vigilance for Americans across the region. The State Department has not said how long the reduced staffing will last or whether additional posts could be downgraded if the threat picture worsens. Officials said the embassies remain open and that further guidance will follow through official channels.

The fullest account of the intelligence warning remains the Associated Press report on the memorandum, while the AP account carried by Nexstar sets out the staffing changes post by post.