U.S. Intelligence Memo Finds Iran Has Stepped Up Plots Against American Officials Abroad

According to a report by Axios, U.S. intelligence has found that Iran has "substantially increased" its efforts to target American diplomats and officials in the Middle East and beyond. The Axios story, written by Barak Ravid, says it obtained the intelligence assessment and presents it as a scoop. Its headline describes Iranian plots to kill officials abroad.

As Axios reported, the memo is dated Oct. 23 and was addressed to Secretary Marco Rubio. The outlet said the memo reports that lethal Iranian plots have reached an advanced stage, meaning the planning has progressed well beyond early efforts. Axios did not describe the specific plots in the portion of its report summarized here.

Axios also reported that U.S. officials say the intelligence is one reason the State Department is drawing down personnel at several American sites. The summary of the Axios report does not identify those sites, the number of personnel involved, or when the drawdown began, and it does not say whether the drawdown is complete.

The Axios summary does not name the officials said to be targeted, and it does not include any comment from Iran or the State Department. The memo itself has not been published in the material reviewed for this report, so its contents are known only through the description Axios gave after obtaining it.

For readers following the matter, the central points, as Axios presented them, are these: U.S. intelligence describes a substantial increase in Iranian efforts against American officials, the memo describes lethal plots at an advanced stage, and U.S. officials link part of the State Department's personnel drawdown to that intelligence. The Federal Chronicle has not independently confirmed these details and relies on the Axios account alone.

Sources: Axios: Scoop: U.S. intel memo warns of "advanced" Iranian plots to kill officials abroad.