US media: US says Iran threat level highest since war began, some embassies begin reducing staff

Odaily: US officials said Friday local time that intelligence indicates Iran's plans to attack Americans have entered a late stage. The US government has asked personnel across the Middle East to raise their alert level and has begun reducing staffing at local embassies and consulates. The intelligence community issued a warning that day to US Secretary of State Rubio, alerting him to security risks facing US State Department employees in the Middle East and other regions, and the Trump administration subsequently confirmed the memo. US officials said the intelligence assessment shows that threats against Americans in the Middle East and several other countries have reached the highest level since the war broke out in February. Trump and his senior aides regularly receive related briefings. Over the past three weeks, analysts have been reviewing threat intelligence targeting US officials, including ambassadors, and some materials indicate that Iran may have deployed operatives inside the United States, with its plans also involving potential targets in Europe. However, another official noted that Iran's ability to carry out attacks in the United States and other overseas locations is limited, and its intent to attack is stronger than its actual operational capability. (Jinshi)