Washington DC: Axios has reported that a new US intelligence report has found that Iran has "substantially increased" its efforts to target American diplomats and officials in the Middle East. The intel memo which Axios cited also said that plots against American diplomats were reaching "advanced stages." Axios further reported that the Intel Memo was addressed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
U.S. officials also fear that Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen could expand their attacks beyond Saudi Arabia to other countries in the region.
Also read: First tanker of Russian diesel sets sail for the US in Trump's controversial deal with Putin
Earlier, the US Department of State said that it had ordered departure for non-emergency personnel and family members in Saudi Arabia.
Addressing reportage that stated that the US is preparing to issue departure orders across multiple Gulf embassies, Department of State Spokesperson Tommy Pigott explicitly refuted the scope of the reported measures.
"This is inaccurate. The U.S. Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only," he wrote in a post on X.
Highlighting the specific security drivers behind the decision, Pigott pointed to escalating aggression by Iranian-backed Houthi forces targeting civilian infrastructure within the Kingdom.
"Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions," he added.
The new intel from Iran comes even as US President Donald Trump on Friday issued a direct military warning to Tehran, teasing another potential US strike on Iran if the country fails to reach a diplomatic agreement, remarking that Washington might launch "another little Epic Fury" to compel compliance
Addressing a campaign rally in Florida, Trump adopted an aggressive foreign policy posture while highlighting his past national security decisions and taking aim at the Iranian leadership.
"We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree," Trump told the cheering crowd, hinting at kinetic action if negotiations falter. Questioning Tehran's strategic foresight, Trump said,
"If they're smart, they'll just say, 'Let's get down to business.' But, you know, I doubt they'll do that because perhaps they're not smart.," he added.
With US Midterms poised for the first week of November, analysts believe that a spike in the conflict in West Asia can be expected with both the US and Iran hardening their positions.