US embassies on alert as Iran moves closer to targeting Americans before midterms

Iran is in the "advanced stages" of planning attacks against Americans, prompting heightened alert across U.S. embassies in the Middle East on Friday. A memo from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said agencies have intelligence that Iran has "substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel" in the region and that the threats also apply to "certain other countries," according to a New York Times report. The warning follows the U.S. decision this week to order non‑emergency government staff to leave Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks have intensified and the broader U.S.–Iran conflict approaches its eighth month. The Saudi‑led coalition said it shot down two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis that were aimed at the cities of Taif and Yanbu. Despite the rising tension, an Iranian official told the Associated Press on Saturday that Tehran remains open to talks with the United States under the Pakistan‑brokered deal agreed in June. Iran’s ambassador to Islamabad, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the Trump administration lifted its naval blockade, but Washington has rejected the offer. Iranian state media later denied the report. The Trump administration has promised to delay any military strike on Iran until after the November 3 midterm elections, noting that the war’s fallout has already disrupted the U.S. economy, with inflation and affordability topping voter concerns. Oil markets reacted to the heightened Middle East risk, pushing Brent crude futures above $116 a barrel, a six‑month high, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate settled at over $103 a barrel, up 3.8%.

Context

The U.S. and Iran have been locked in a proxy conflict for years, with the Strait of Hormuz serving as a strategic chokepoint for global oil shipments. Any escalation in the region can quickly affect world oil prices and domestic political debates, especially ahead of major elections.