US Treasury Secretary Bessent moved to military base amid Iranian threats

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Officials concluded in recent weeks that Iranian plotting against current and former US officials had reached a more advanced stage ...

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently moved out of his home and onto a military base after Iranian threats against his life, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.

US officials concluded in recent weeks that Iranian plotting against current and former U.S. officials had reached a more advanced stage, based in part on intelligence about threats to Bessent, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive information.

Since August, Bessent has led an economic pressure campaign meant to isolate Iran financially through tougher sanctions and restrictions on trade routes. That role has made him one of the administration officials that Iran most wants to harm, the people said.

The severity of the threats to him is unclear. Iran's ability to carry out large-scale attacks in the United States and other territories overseas is limited, US officials have noted. But there have been specific, targeted threats made by Iran against individuals that US officials have deemed serious, such as a murder-for-hire plot against President Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign.

In a statement, a Treasury Department spokesperson said Bessent “will not be deterred by the Iranian regime's threats,” adding that he remains committed to executing the campaign to squeeze Iran’s economy.

Bessent is the latest senior Trump administration official to leave a Washington-area home for a military base or other protected housing. At least half a dozen did so last year, including Stephen Miller, now White House chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, then attorney general.

The administration has not disclosed the scope of the threats against top officials, not all of which involve Iran. In Bondi's case, it was said to relate in part to an uptick in threats she received after the United States military snatched former Venezuelan…

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