U.S. Reduces Middle East Embassy Staff Amid Iranian Threats
The U.S. State Department is reducing staffing at four Middle East embassies after intelligence warned of advanced Iranian plotting against American personnel.
The United States Department of State is reducing staffing at embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates following intelligence that Iran has increased efforts to target American personnel. These embassies will continue to operate under restricted status. In a more severe measure, nonessential personnel and their families were ordered to leave Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iranian lethal plotting efforts against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries. While the State Department publicly cited threats from Yemen's Houthi rebels for the drawdowns, officials confirmed the Iranian threat is a primary factor. U.S. officials denied that these staffing changes are linked to potential new U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
President Donald Trump suggested the possibility of another military operation similar to Operation Epic Fury to compel Iranian cooperation. In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that further escalation around the Strait of Hormuz or elsewhere in the region would put civilian lives and the global economy at great risk.
