Home · World · Nov 11 archive
US Treasury Secretary Bessent Moves to Military Base Amid Iranian Threats
Confirmed
In Short: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has recently moved from his home in Washington, DC, to an undisclosed US military base following alleged threats to his life from Iran.
U.S. military moves planes from U.K. base over Iran threat. NBC News
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has recently moved from his home in Washington, DC, to an undisclosed US military base following alleged threats to his life from Iran.
Security concerns for Bessent escalated after The Wall Street Journal published an aerial view of his $12.5 million Georgetown mansion shortly after his confirmation as Treasury secretary in January 2025.
The threats against Bessent are directly linked to the U.S. Financial offensive he has been leading since last August, aimed at cutting funding to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to sources familiar with the matter, US officials concluded that Iranian plots against current and former U.S. Officials had reached a more advanced stage, partly based on intelligence about threats to Bessent.
Bessent is not the first high-profile official to relocate for security reasons; at least half a dozen Trump administration officials moved to bases or protected housing last year.
The Justice Department unsealed an indictment Tuesday charging three men in connection with an attempted attack near RAF Fairford, a base in England, in September.
The severity of the threats to Bessent remains unclear, with US officials considering Tehran’s capacity to carry out large-scale attacks as limited, even as threats against specific figures raise security concerns.
The Treasury Department has been central to the Trump administration's efforts to intensify economic pressure on Iran, particularly during the US-Israeli war that began on February 28.
The New York Times and Reuters reported the move on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter, while the specific installation or timing of the move has not been publicly disclosed.
What this adds
The sources have not established the exact nature or origin of the threats against Bessent, only that they have increased in recent months.
What's confirmed
- A spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Reuters that “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”.
- United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has recently moved from his home in Washington, DC, to an undisclosed US military base in the wake of “Iranian threats” to his life.
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has moved from his residence to a military base following alleged threats to his life from Iran, media reports said on Tuesday.
- In recent weeks, US officials concluded that Iranian threats against current and former American officials had reached a more "advanced stage", based partly on intelligence about threats to Bessent.
- Bessent has been the face of Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Tehran during the course of the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28.
- The US Treasury Department doesn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
- The newspaper reports that the severity of the threats to Bessent isn’t immediately clear.
What's still developing
- A spokesperson said Bessent “will not be deterred by threats from the Iranian regime” and reaffirmed his determination to continue Operation “Economic Outcast” and maintain the naval blockade.
- NYT reported a rise in credible threats against these officials, fuelled by the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the US-Iran war.
- Bessent and his family were subsequently relocated to a military base for their safety, although authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific installation or when the move took place.
- Il quotidiano ha riferito che la gravità delle minacce rivolte a Bessent non era immediatamente chiara.
Sources
- Al Jazeeralink
- La Voce di New Yorklink
- NewsNationlink
- TRT Worldlink
- The Times of Israellink
- Hindustan Timeslink
- Politicalwirelink
- Timesofisraellink
- Newscordlink
- Dailywirelink
- Turkiyetodaylink
- Justthenewslink
- Indiatodaylink
- Internazionalelink
- NBC News — video link
- NBC News — video link
- Mehran TV Official — video link