U.S. official: 'Multiple' sources strengthen case against Iran

Obama: 'There will be consequences'

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: U.S. ambassador to U.N. met with Iranian counterpart, State Dept. officials say
• "Unusual but serious" picture emerged from verified sources, official tells CNN
• Large wire transfers of cash were key to showing plot was real, official says
• U.S. offering "specialized briefings" to other nations, State Dept. official says

Washington (CNN) -- "Multiple" sources have corroborated the report about an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States, a scheme the administration is alleging is tied to Iran's military, a U.S. official told CNN Thursday.
When U.S. officials first learned of the alleged plot, "there were significant doubts there was any 'there' there," the official said. But "multiple sources of independently verified information" corroborated the account, the official said. "It coalesced into a picture of something unusual but serious," the official said.
The official said a key indicator that the plot was real was the wire transfer of large sums of cash.
The United States is offering "specialized briefings" to officials in other countries who have sought more information about the alleged plot, said State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland. She cited Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as having wanted more information.

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A senior administration official said the impetus for the specialized briefings came from U.S. officials. Briefing teams -- composed of senior officials from various agencies -- are going to China, Turkey and Russia and perhaps to other countries.
The news came on the same day that the United States reported having had "direct contact with Iran" about the alleged plot and as the Obama administration ratcheted up its rhetoric against the Islamic republic.