Scott Bessent reportedly relocates to military base after threat from Iran

Iran has intensified targeting of current and former US officials

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly relocated from his home in the Washington area to a military base after an Iranian threat against his life, The New York Times reported Tuesday. The Guardian said the New York Times, citing three people familiar with the matter, described Bessent as the latest Trump official to move to a military base. The accounts did not specify the severity of the threat against him.

Bessent has held a central role in Washington’s economic effort against Iran. The Guardian reported that he spearheaded the U.S. push to cripple Iran’s economy since the start of the Middle East war and vowed to pursue “economic asphyxiation” through a web of sanctions.

The New York Times, citing three people familiar with the matter, reported that the intensified Iranian campaign included current and former U.S. officials such as Bessent. Those sources said plotting against U.S. officials had reached a “more advanced stage.” They did not specify how serious the threats against Bessent were, leaving that central detail unresolved.

U.S. national intelligence chief Jay Clayton said last month that Tehran had “substantially increased” its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond. The statement provided an on-record account of the broader targeting effort described in the New York Times reporting.

Washington ordered non-essential U.S. embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia last month after attacks from Tehran-backed Houthi fighters increased. The departure order was one of the other security steps detailed in the Guardian report.

The U.S. military also removed some aircraft from two British bases in recent weeks amid reported threats from Iran. Those removals and the Saudi Arabia departure order extended the security response beyond Bessent’s reported relocation.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war were gathering pace, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Tuesday that the U.S. squeeze on Iran’s economy had made further attacks unnecessary. Rubio’s statement came as Washington continued to use sanctions against Iran.

The reporting linked the Iranian threat to current and former U.S. officials and described protective steps involving embassy personnel and families in Saudi Arabia and aircraft at two British bases. The severity of the threat against Bessent remained unclear even as Washington continued its economic pressure campaign and pursued diplomacy to end the war.