The New York Times reported, citing anonymous U.S. officials, that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was moved from his Washington, D.C., home to a secure military base because of developing assassination threats linked to Iran. According to the Times, the threats were not new but had “reached a more advanced stage,” and “the severity of the threats to him is unclear,” adding that Iran’s ability to carry out attacks in the United States is “limited.”
What officials and outlets are saying
Fox News reported that the Treasury Department confirmed Bessent’s relocation and quoted a department representative saying Bessent “will not be deterred by the Iranian regime’s threats” and remains committed to the pressure campaign he is leading.
Pressure campaign backdrop
Bessent announced an economic pressure campaign against Iran in August. In a social media post, he wrote, “In the Second World War, D-Day marked the historic beginning of a campaign with our allies to target and drive the enemy from its positions, including those in third countries. Today, in that same spirit, we are launching an economic onslaught against Iran’s financial connections around the globe.”
The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, also reported that Bessent’s role leading the pressure campaign “has made him one of the administration officials that Iran most wants to harm.”
Recent warnings and other relocations
CBS News reported that U.S. national intelligence chief Jay Clayton warned a month earlier that Iran had “substantially increased” efforts to target Americans.
The New York Times reported that at least half a dozen top Trump administration officials relocated last year; the paper noted not all moves were tied to Iran. NewsNation reported that Pam Bondi was moved after threats from drug cartels and from individuals upset over her handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Same-day terrorism indictments
On the day news of Bessent’s relocation emerged, the Department of Justice announced terrorism-related indictments against three Iranian nationals who “were allegedly involved in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the United States,” CNBC reported. Attorney General Todd Blanche was quoted as saying, “Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American service members will be prosecuted by the United States government.”
Administration’s stance on military action
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters there was no immediate need for major combat operations against Iran if the administration’s economic pressure is achieving its objectives, according to Fox News. “We don’t need to conduct military strikes if we’re achieving the same objective through economic means and economic pressure,” Rubio said. “The devastation that our economic campaign is having on the Iranian regime is working so well that the president really doesn’t have any need to conduct major combat operations.”
