Key takeaways:
- The New York Times reported that Bessent moved from his Washington-area home to a military base; the severity of the reported threat was unclear.
- U.S. national intelligence chief Jay Clayton warned that Iran had “substantially increased” efforts to target Americans.
- A Treasury spokesperson said Bessent would continue the U.S. economic pressure campaign against Iran despite the threats.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has moved from his Washington-area home to a military base after an Iranian threat against his life, The New York Times reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. The severity of the threat was unclear, the people said.
Bessent has led a U.S. campaign of sanctions and other economic pressure against Iran. A Treasury Department spokesperson told the Times that he “will not be deterred by the Iranian regime’s threats.” In a statement reported by The Guardian, the spokesperson said Bessent remained committed to carrying out the campaign, called Operation Economic Outcast, and maintaining a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The reported move comes amid heightened concern about threats to U.S. officials. U.S. national intelligence chief Jay Clayton warned last month that Iran had “substantially increased” its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond. Iranian efforts to target current and former U.S. officials, including Bessent, have intensified, the Times reported. The three people it cited said plotting against officials had reached a “more advanced stage.”
Clayton’s warning appeared in an unclassified memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by CBS News. It came as the State Department adjusted staffing at diplomatic posts across the Middle East and the U.S. military reduced its presence in the region, amid concerns about threats from Iran and the Iranian-backed Houthi movement in Yemen, CBS reported. The U.S. military has also removed some aircraft from two British bases in recent weeks following reported threats from Iran.
According to The Guardian, Rubio and Stephen Miller, the Trump administration’s new chief of staff, are among other senior officials who have left their homes for military bases or protected housing. The Guardian also reported that Washington ordered nonessential U.S. Embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia last month after an increase in attacks by Tehran-backed Houthi fighters.
Bessent has overseen Operation Economic Outcast since August, The Guardian reported. The campaign aims to pressure Tehran to end attacks on shipping and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which the newspaper said has been largely closed since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. Its measures include sanctions on Middle Eastern bank branches and financial services firms facilitating transactions with Iran.
A person familiar with the matter told The Guardian that concerns about Bessent’s safety increased after The Wall Street Journal published an aerial view of a Georgetown house he bought for $12.5 million shortly after his confirmation in January 2025. The person said the image made the home possible to locate and that Bessent was moved for his safety. Iran has previously denied plotting attacks on officials and other people on U.S. soil, The Guardian reported.
Diplomatic efforts to end the war are gathering pace. Rubio said Tuesday that he saw no need to resume major combat operations against Iran because sanctions and other restrictions were working effectively.
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