NYT: Scott Bessent Moved to Military Base Over Iranian Threats

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent left his Washington, D.C., home for a military base following advanced Iranian threats to his life, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing officials familiar with the matter.

Bessent is the third current Trump Cabinet member reported to have moved into military housing, joining Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Fort McNair in Washington, according to Newsweek. The relocation places a key architect of the administration’s financial pressure campaign under heightened protection. The Treasury Department launched “Operation Economic Outcast” in August to isolate Iran through sanctions and trade restrictions. According to The New York Times, Bessent’s leading role in that campaign made him a primary target for the Iranian regime. Intelligence regarding the threats against Bessent indicated that Tehran’s plotting against current and former American officials had entered a more advanced stage, The New York Times reported. While U.S. officials assess that Iran’s capacity for large-scale domestic attacks remains limited, targeted threats against individuals have prompted serious security reviews, according to The New York Times.

A Treasury Department spokesperson said Bessent “will not be deterred by the Iranian regime’s threats,” noting that he remains focused on the economic pressure campaign. Reuters reported that the exact severity of the threats against Bessent was not immediately clear. The security move coincides with Department of Justice action against three Iranian nationals indicted on terrorism-related charges.

The department said the defendants were linked to nearly 20 attacks and attempted operations across Europe and the United States, including a September 2026 plot targeting RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom, where U.S. military personnel are stationed. “Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American servicemembers will be prosecuted by the United States government,” General Todd Blanche, Attorney General, said.