The US Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has relocated from his home in the Washington area to a military base after an Iranian threat against his life, the New York Times has reported.
Bessent has spearheaded a US push to cripple Iran’s economy since the start of the Middle East war, vowing “economic asphyxiation” of the Islamic republic through a web of sanctions.
He is one of a number of senior figures in the Trump administration including the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the new chief of staff, Stephen Miller, to leave their home to live on a military base or protected housing.
The US national intelligence chief, Jay Clayton, said last month that Tehran had “substantially increased” its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond.
These include intensifying the targeting of current and former US officials such as Bessent, the NYT reported on Tuesday, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
Iranian plotting against US officials has reached a “more advanced stage”, according to the anonymous sources, but the severity of the threats against Bessent was unclear.
Washington ordered non-essential US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia last month, after increasing attacks from Tehran-backed Houthi fighters.
The US military has also removed some aircraft from two British bases in recent weeks amid reported threats from Iran.
Diplomatic efforts to end the war are gathering pace, with Rubio saying on Tuesday that the US squeezing of Iran’s economy had made further attacks unnecessary.
Bessent has led the US sanctions and economic pressure campaign against Iran, called Operation Economic Outcast, since August to try to push Tehran to end attacks on shipping and reopen the strait of Hormuz. The crucial waterway has been largely closed since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.
The economic pressure campaign, which coincides with a US naval blockade of Iranian ports, has included sanctions on Middle Eastern bank branches and other financial services firms facilitating transactions with Iran.
A US Treasury spokesperson said: “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.”
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The Times reported that the severity of the threats to Bessent was not immediately clear.
A source familiar with the matter said security concerns surrounding Bessent had increased when the Wall Street Journal published an aerial view of the Georgetown mansion that Bessent bought for $12.5m (£9.4m) shortly after his confirmation as Treasury secretary in January 2025.
The photo allowed Bessent’s home to be geolocated, and Bessent was relocated to a military base for his safety, the source said, adding: “The news media has an obligation to act responsibly amid growing threats against public officials.”
Iran has previously denied plotting to attack officials and people on US soil.
Agence France-Presse and Reuters contributed to this report
Source: www.theguardian.com
