US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly taken refuge at a military base after receiving alleged death threats from Iran.
Bessent has led Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Tehran since August, threatening to impose “economic asphyxiation” and unleash “financial violence” through sweeping sanctions targeting Iranian businesses and their foreign partners. Dubbed Operation Economic Outcast, the campaign is part of Washington’s broader confrontation with Tehran, which erupted into war following US-Israeli strikes in late February.
The New York Times first reported Bessent’s relocation on Tuesday, citing three people familiar with the matter. Reuters subsequently corroborated the report through two sources. The credibility and severity of the alleged Iranian threats remain unclear.
Washington has also warned of heightened security risks for senior American figures. Last month, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton claimed that Tehran had “substantially increased” its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond, with some plots allegedly reaching “advanced stages.”
On Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel announced charges against three alleged Iranian-backed operatives accused of carrying out or plotting nearly 20 attacks across the US and Europe. The Justice Department said the suspects had targeted Jewish communities and plotted to strike RAF Fairford, a British airbase used by American military forces.
Tehran has dismissed previous US assassination plot allegations, accusing Washington of portraying itself as a victim while waging war against Iran. Responding to similar claims in June, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that “playing the victim cannot whitewash” what he described as American war crimes against the Iranian people.
Bessent joins several senior Trump administration officials who are said to have sought refuge on military installations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have reportedly moved onto the same base in Washington. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also lived at a military facility near the capital, while new White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller relocated to military housing in September 2025 after reporting harassment at his Virginia home.
Security concerns have extended to US military installations overseas. In early October, American bombers were hastily withdrawn from Britain following reports of a suspected terrorist plot against RAF Fairford, which had been used to launch strikes on Iran. On Monday, US refueling tankers and Osprey aircraft were also moved from RAF Mildenhall to other bases in Britain and continental Europe.
The Pentagon also revealed in late October that it was preparing major US bases to operate independently for at least 90 days, allowing them to withstand prolonged power outages, supply disruptions, and infrastructure damage during a major conflict.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to end the war have continued. Rubio said Tuesday that Washington saw no need to resume major military operations against Iran, claiming that economic pressure is proving effective. Tehran has insisted that any settlement must address its demands for ending hostilities before it reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
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