Treasury Secretary Bessent Moves to Military Base After Reported Iranian Threat

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has moved from his home in the Washington area to a military base after an Iranian threat against his life, according to The Guardian.

On Tuesday, November 10, The New York Times reported that Bessent had moved to a military base because of Iranian threats. The paper cited three sources familiar with the matter, who said Iranian targeting of current and former US officials, including Bessent, had intensified. Anonymous sources also said Iranian plotting against US officials had reached a more advanced stage.

Bessent has been the leading figure in a US effort to weaken Iran's economy through sanctions, which are government restrictions that limit a country's trade and its access to the international financial system. He has led that push since the start of the Middle East war, according to The Guardian.

The threat concerns extend beyond one official. US national intelligence chief Jay Clayton said last month that Tehran has substantially increased its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond. Last month, Washington also ordered non-essential US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, after what it described as increasing attacks from Tehran-backed Houthi fighters, an armed group in the region.

The US military has removed some aircraft from two British bases in recent weeks amid reported threats from Iran.

Speaking on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that US economic pressure on Iran made further attacks unnecessary.