WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has moved out of his Washington home and onto a U.S. military base after Iranian threats against his life, according to Reuters, which cited two people familiar with the matter.
The New York Times first reported the move on Tuesday. Just how serious the threats were is not yet clear.
A senior intelligence official in the Trump administration warned late last month, in a memo seen by Reuters, that Iranian plots against U.S. personnel and American citizens had reached an advanced stage.
Bessent is the public face of the economic campaign Washington has run against Tehran since August. Dubbed Operation Economic Outcast, it uses sanctions and a naval blockade of Iranian ports to press Iran to stop attacks on shipping and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway has been largely closed since Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran and the current war began.
A Treasury spokesperson, in an emailed statement, said Bessent would not be put off by the threats. “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,” the spokesperson said.
One person familiar with the matter tied the timing to a photograph. Security concerns around Bessent grew after The Wall Street Journal published an aerial view of the Georgetown mansion he bought for $12.5 million shortly after his confirmation as Treasury secretary in January 2025.
The photo made the home easy to locate, that person said, and Bessent was moved to a base for his safety. “The news media has an obligation to act responsibly amid growing threats against public officials,” the person added.
The pressure campaign has included sanctions on branches of Middle Eastern banks and other financial services firms accused of handling transactions for Iran.
Iran has denied plotting to attack officials and other people on U.S. soil in the past. U.S. officials have also said Iran’s ability to carry out large-scale attacks in the United States or overseas is limited, The New York Times reported.