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US treasury chief Scott Bessent relocated to military base amid Iranian threats: Report
Bessent and his family moved to a military base after US intelligence said Iranian threats against American officials had reached a more "advanced stage".
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US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has moved out of his home in Washington, DC, and relocated to a military base after Iranian threats against his life, according to multiple reports.
In recent weeks, US officials concluded that Iranian threats against current and former American officials had reached a more "advanced stage", based partly on intelligence about threats to Bessent, according to a New York Times report. A senior administration official told Fox News that Bessent and his family have moved to the military base.
The US treasury department confirmed the relocation, saying he will "not be deterred by the Iranian regime’s threats", adding that he remains committed to executing the campaign to squeeze Iran’s economy. However, the severity of the Iranian threats against Bessent remains unclear.
Also Read | Arab, Muslim leaders urge Trump to hold off fresh Iran strikes, prioritise diplomacy: Report
Bessent is not the first Trump official to relocate to a military base or other protected houses. Several officials made the switch last year, including now White House chief of staff Stephen Miller and former attorney general Pam Bondi. NYT reported a rise in credible threats against these officials, fuelled by the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the US-Iran war.
Bessent's campaign against Iran
Since August, Bessent has led an aggressive pressure campaign to impose tougher sanctions on Iran and restrictions on trade routes in a bid to isolate the Islamic Republic financially amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, making him one of the US officials that Tehran most wants to harm, according to the NYT report.
In late September, Bessent said Iran will have "nothing left to trade for anything" as the Trump administration intensified its economic pressure against the regime with a naval blockade in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz as part of ‘Operation Economic Outcast’. He assessed that Iran was desperate to make a deal because of its collapsing economy.
Despite Bessent insisting that the campaign was shrinking Iran's economy, US intelligence said economic pain may not lead to regime change as the country's hard-line leadership is determined to hold on to power at nearly any cost.
Also Read | Scott Bessent responds to Obama’s ‘Cheesecake Factory’ joke with lunch stop, social media jab
While Iran's ability to carry out large-scale attacks has been limited, US officials have taken serious note of targeted threats against individuals, including an alleged murder-for-hire plot against President Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign.
US military on alert in Middle East
Last month, the US government put employees on heightened alert across the Middle East and moved to reduce personnel levels at embassies and consulates because of intelligence showing Iran was in the advanced stages of planning attacks against Americans.
Additionally, the US military on Monday abruptly moved bombers from a base in the United Kingdom, following a suspected terrorist plot against the site.
Trump had earlier signalled that the US was unlikely to take further large-scale military action in Iran, saying Washington wanted to maintain the status quo in the region. However, he said the military was "locked and loaded" to resume strikes if needed.
The leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Qatar have been seeking to persuade Trump against renewed military action amid concerns that he could order fresh strikes following the Republican Party's poor performance in last week's midterm elections, according to a report by the Financial Times.
