What the US intelligence memo says

The United States has evacuated personnel from embassies and military bases across the Middle East after intelligence warned that Iranian efforts to target Americans had reached what it called advanced stages. The warning came in an unclassified memo dated 23 October from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, first reported by Axios and seen by Reuters.

"Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel," Clayton wrote. "The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries." The memo did not name specific targets or say whether any attack was imminent, according to the reports.

Embassies evacuated, travel warnings updated

Washington had already ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave US diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia, after attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen. It then announced staffing reductions at four more embassies — in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — without ordering all personnel to leave.

On Saturday the State Department updated travel advisories for more than a dozen countries across the Gulf and Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Israel, citing the increased threat from Iran and Iran-aligned Houthis. It did not raise the advisory levels, but revised the warnings to reflect the heightened threats.

The Strait of Hormuz and the oil link

The evacuations come as attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz continue. Iran has claimed that seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged after striking mines overnight, and a US-led effort to ferry oil through the strait has brought exports close to pre-war levels — about 14 million barrels a day last week, or 82 per cent of the pre-war total, according to analysis cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Tehran has long promised retaliation if the US resumes attacks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on social media: "Last time you wanted to finish the job, Iran emerged even stronger. Want to try your luck again? Be our guest."

Talks still open

Despite the evacuations, diplomacy is not closed. President Donald Trump said the US has held "very good talks" with Iran and suggested a deal could be within reach, while Tehran says a US proposal delivered through mediator Pakistan remains "under review" and that it will respond once it has finalised its views.

Sources: Reuters, 24 October 2026; The Wall Street Journal; Al Jazeera live coverage. This is a developing story — figures and warnings are as reported by those outlets.