‘American diplomats now legitimate targets’: US draws down Embassy personnel following Iranian threat
In response to credible intelligence regarding advanced assassination plots, the United States has initiated embassy drawdowns across multiple Middle Eastern countries while actively preparing for potential military escalation
Tensions between the US and Iran have reached a critical point as the IRGC declares American diplomats and personnel as legitimate targets, prompting embassy evacuations and military preparations across the Middle East following intelligence about advanced assassination plots.
Tensions between the US and Iran have reached a critical point as the IRGC declares American diplomats and personnel as legitimate targets, prompting embassy evacuations and military preparations across the Middle East following intelligence about advanced assassination plots.
Tensions between the US and Iran have reached a critical point as the IRGC declares American diplomats and personnel as legitimate targets, prompting embassy evacuations and military preparations across the Middle East following intelligence about advanced assassination plots.
Amid reports that the U.S. Central Command has prepared options for a new attack on Iran, possibly after the midterm congressional elections in November, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said that Iran’s targets now include American diplomats and personnel.
The IRGC officials, who asked not to be identified, confirmed the U.S. State Department’s claims that Iran intended to harm Americans, and noted that Israel and the U.S. have killed dozens of Iranian officials and several members of their families—which they said makes Americans a “legitimate target.”
The confirmation comes amid reports quoting U.S. officials who stated they were focusing on intelligence that has been accumulating in recent weeks that suggests the Iranians may be trying to assassinate American ambassadors in the Middle East and senior officials on U.S. soil.
According to one source, there is evidence that Iran has agents inside the United States who are not "just Iranian citizens."
According to reports in Axios and The New York Times, Iran has also increased its assassination efforts outside the region, and several of the plots have reached "advanced stages." In an urgent memo sent to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton recommended that the information be declassified to allow for the warning of additional government officials at risk.
In Saudi Arabia, non-essential workers and their families have been ordered to leave the embassy in Riyadh and the consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran. Similar measures are being taken in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, also due to fears of Houthi attacks. The presence of U.S. officials at other embassies has also been secretly reduced.
The U.S. military is also preparing for escalation. The number of troops at several bases in the region has been reduced due to fears of Iranian retaliatory attacks.
Meanwhile, Israel is pressuring the Trump administration to advance an attack due to Iranian buildup and renewed nuclear activity, but the president prefers to wait until after the midterm elections. The two countries have formulated a plan for a three-day operation against nuclear and energy facilities, and missile and drone systems, designed to inflict economic damage and bring Tehran back to negotiations.