State Department Warns Americans of ‘Iranian-Supported’ Houthi Aggression

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The U.S. State Department is urging Americans in a dozen countries in the Middle East to be wary of “increased Iranian-supported Houthi aggression” amid reports Iran is in the “advanced stages” of planning attacks which target Americans.

The agency put its warning out on X Saturday, after chilling reports emerged that Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton issued a memo a day earlier alerting Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iran had “substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel.”

Clayton wrote in the memo:

Recognizing that the safety of U.S. government personnel abroad is a top priority for the State Department, the Intelligence Community, and the Trump Administration as a whole, it has become clear that certain intelligence and analysis regarding Iranian efforts to target U.S. government officials in the Middle East and certain other areas are relevant to more individuals than are currently cleared to receive this information.

Specifically, through various channels, we have received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel. The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries.

These materials have been provided to appropriately-cleared senior staff on your team and we are available to brief you at your convenience. We will make every effort to downgrade as much intelligence as possible so you can share it with State Department personnel at your discretion.

Clayton’s Friday memo was first reported by Axios.

The warning comes as the Iran conflict is on the cusp of reaching the eight month mark.

The conflict began Feb. 28, with joint airstrikes launched on Iran by the United States and Israel which killed the country’s longtime leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

The conflict has also cost nearly two dozen American lives and caused dissatisfaction on the home front after oil prices surged.

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