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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent moves to a military base after reported Iranian threats
- What happened
- Bessent has left his Washington home for a military base after threats to his life attributed to Iran.
- Why it matters
- He leads the US sanctions campaign meant to cripple Iran's economy during the war.
- What’s next
- Treasury says the pressure campaign and blockade will continue; Iran denies plotting attacks in the US.
How this story developed
- 10:45First report
- 12:112nd source
- 12:11Confirmed
- 13:163rd source
- 10:45First reportSouth China Morning Post
- 12:112nd sourceThe Guardian World
- 12:11ConfirmedWas: Single source
- 13:16Latest3rd sourceAl Jazeera English
Full story
The move
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has moved from his home in Washington to a US military base following Iranian threats against his life, The New York Times first reported on Tuesday. Reuters confirmed the move citing sources familiar with the matter, according to The Guardian, Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post. The severity of the threats was not clear.
The Guardian reports that Bessent joins other senior administration figures, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and chief of staff Stephen Miller, who have left their homes for military bases or protected housing.
A source told Reuters that concern grew after The Wall Street Journal published an aerial view of the Georgetown mansion Bessent bought for 12.5 million dollars shortly after his confirmation in January 2025. The photo allowed the house to be geolocated. The source said the news media "has an obligation to act responsibly amid growing threats against public officials".
Bessent's role against Iran
Since August, Bessent has led the US economic pressure campaign against Iran, called Operation Economic Outcast, aimed at pushing Tehran to end attacks on shipping and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Guardian notes the waterway has been largely closed since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. The campaign runs alongside a US naval blockade of Iranian ports and has included sanctions on Middle Eastern bank branches and other financial firms.
“The secretary will not be deterred by the Iranian regime's threats and remains committed to executing Operation Economic Outcast and maintaining the blockade, which together are collapsing Iran's economy.”
US Treasury spokesperson, The Guardian World
The wider threat picture
US national intelligence chief Jay Clayton said last month that Tehran had "substantially increased" efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond, including current and former officials. A memo by a senior intelligence official, seen by Reuters, warned that Iranian plots had reached an advanced stage. The Times also reported that US officials see Iran's ability to carry out large-scale attacks in the US as limited.
Iran has previously denied plotting to attack officials and people on US soil. The Guardian reports that diplomatic efforts to end the war are gathering pace, with Rubio saying on Tuesday that economic pressure had made further attacks unnecessary.