The U.S. State Department issued a worldwide travel alert for U.S. citizens late on Tuesday. The alert can be found in full on the official U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

The alert warns US citizens of potential anti-U.S. actions following the disruption of a plot, linked to Iran, to commit a significant terrorist act in the United States.

An Iranian-born U.S. citizen, working on behalf of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force – designated by the Treasury Department in 2007 for its support of terrorism – is suspected of conspiring to assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States. The U.S. government assesses that this Iranian-backed plan to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador may indicate a more aggressive focus by the Iranian Government on terrorist activity against diplomats from certain countries, to include possible attacks in the United States.

Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

This Travel Alert expires on January 11, 2012.