US Treasury chief Bessent moved to military base after Iranian threats, sources say

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has recently moved from his Washington, DC, residence to a US military base after Iranian ‌threats against his life, two people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The New York Times first reported the move. The Times said the severity of the threats was not immediately clear.

A senior intelligence official in the Trump administration warned in a memo seen by Reuters ‌late last month that Iranian plots against US personnel and American citizens had reached an advanced stage. Bessent has led the US ‌sanctions and economic pressure campaign against Iran, dubbed 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 February 28. 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.

"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," a US Treasury spokesperson said in an emailed statement. A person familiar with ​the matter said security concerns surrounding Bessent began to increase after the Wall Street Journal reported in January 2025 that ⁠he had bought a Georgetown mansion for $12.5 million. The Journal story included an aerial photo of the property, which the person said allowed it to be geolocated.

The person declined ⁠to ​address the timing of the government's decision to move Bessent. Contacted on Wednesday, a day after Reuters initially published its story, the Journal did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the security issue.

Iran has previously denied plotting to attack officials ⁠and people on US soil. The New York Times reported that US officials have noted that Iran's ability to carry out large-scale attacks in ⁠the US and other territories overseas ⁠is limited.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon during the war have killed thousands and displaced millions. American and Israeli attacks have also killed top Iranian officials, including late Supreme Leader ‌Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.