US Treasury chief Bessent moved to military base after ‘Iranian threats’

What the report says

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly moved from his Washington, DC, home to an undisclosed US military base after what US media outlets described as Iranian threats, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting based on the New York Times and Reuters. The reports said the severity of the threats was not clear. Al Jazeera noted that Iran has denied past allegations that it was plotting attacks on people in the United States.

The move comes as Bessent has been leading a US economic pressure campaign against Iran, called Operation Economic Outcast, since August. That campaign is intended to push Tehran to end attacks on shipping and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera also reported that the US has maintained a blockade on Iranian ports since April, while Tehran has continued to resist the pressure.

Security concerns around Bessent reportedly increased after The Wall Street Journal published an aerial image of his Georgetown mansion, which he bought for $12.5 million after becoming Treasury secretary in January 2025. Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter, said the photo helped allow the home to be geo-located, prompting the relocation for safety reasons.

More broadly, Al Jazeera cited recent US intelligence warnings that Iranian efforts to target Americans abroad have intensified, although officials have also said Iran’s capacity for large-scale attacks inside the US remains limited.