Bessent Moved to Military Base After Iranian Threats to His Life on Nov. 10
Key Facts
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently moved from his home to a military base after receiving Iranian threats to his life, Reuters reported on Nov. 10, citing the New York Times. The move places a senior economic official in President Donald Trump’s administration under security measures linked to Iranian threats as Bessent leads Washington’s economic campaign against Tehran. The seriousness of the threats against him was not immediately clear, Reuters reported, citing the newspaper. The U.S. Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The agency cited the report as saying Bessent left his home and moved to a military facility, without providing further details about the timing or duration of the move.
The incident comes amid an economic pressure campaign that Bessent announced on Aug. 24 under the name "Economic Outcast Operation," targeting Iran and those facilitating its activities. The Treasury Department said the operation began at the direction of President Trump and aims to "cut off every economic lifeline supporting this regime." Bessent described the campaign as unprecedented, linking it to targeting the networks Iran uses in its oil trade and to evade sanctions. He said the department had mapped "every node, every facilitator and every network" Tehran used to smuggle oil and evade sanctions. Bessent leads the department responsible for applying U.S. financial pressure tools, directly linking his government role to the campaign Washington announced against Iran.
Announced U.S. precautions in recent months have also extended to diplomatic sites in the Middle East. The Associated Press said the State Department reduced staffing at 4 embassies after receiving intelligence about Iranian efforts to target Americans. The agency said the embassies would remain open, meaning the measure was limited to reducing staff and did not include closing the missions. In August, Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled aboard a plane that a U.S. official described as having served as a decoy aircraft, following an Iranian threat. The official said security precautions for the president are more extensive than those taken for members of the administration. These incidents indicate that security arrangements covered officials, diplomatic facilities and travel, with the nature of each measure and the agency announcing it varying.
U.S. and British reports have also addressed threats linked to an air base in England. A U.S. official said Washington moved its bombers from RAF Fairford after threats linked to Iran. The official added that the U.S. administration believed the threat was intended to kill as many U.S. troops as possible and destroy the aircraft. In a later report, the Associated Press said British police arrested a 22-year-old British man on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, and that he was the seventh person arrested in connection with the suspected plot. The agency reported that Iran denied involvement in the plot, but had previously said any base used to attack its territory would be considered a legitimate target. Bessent’s move remains separate from those incidents, as no details have been disclosed linking the personal threat against him to any specific target or plot.
Reuters, citing U.S. officials, reported that Iran’s ability to carry out large-scale attacks inside and outside the United States is limited. The agency also noted that Iran had previously denied planning to attack officials and people on U.S. soil. The New York Times report, as cited by Reuters, did not specify the level of the threat against Bessent, and the Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Available information does not detail any other security measures taken to protect him or when he might return home. His move to the base is the disclosed fact at the center of this development, while the nature and scope of the threat remain undisclosed.