Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has led US economic pressure campaign against Iran, dubbed Operation Economic Outcast [File: Kylie Cooper/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and ReutersPublished On 11 Nov 202611 Nov 2026
United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has recently moved from his home in Washington, DC, to an undisclosed US military base in the wake of “Iranian threats” to his life.
The New York Times and the Reuters news agency reported the move on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter, but the severity of the threats remained unclear.
Iran has previously denied plotting to attack officials and people on US soil.
Bessent has led a US economic pressure campaign against Iran, dubbed Operation Economic Outcast, since August to try to push Tehran to end attacks on shipping and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In April, the US announced a blockade on Iranian ports, but Tehran has remained defiant despite the naval siege.
A spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Reuters that “the secretary will not be deterred by the Iranian regime’s threats and remains committed to executing Operation Economic Outcast and maintaining the blockade, which together are collapsing Iran’s economy”.
In a memo seen by Reuters late last month, a senior intelligence official in the Trump administration warned that Iranian plots against US citizens had reached an advanced stage.
Security concerns surrounding Bessent increased when The Wall Street Journal published an aerial view of the Georgetown mansion that he bought for $12.5m shortly after his confirmation as Treasury secretary in January 2025, Reuters said, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The photo allowed Bessent’s home to be geo-located, and he was relocated to a military base for his safety, the source said, adding: “The news media has an obligation to act responsibly amid growing threats against public officials.”
The New York Times reported that US officials have noted that Iran’s ability to carry out large-scale attacks in the US and other territories overseas is limited. Yet, US national intelligence chief Jay Clayton warned last month that Tehran has “substantially increased” its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond.
Those efforts include beefing up the targeting of current and former US officials such as Bessent, the Times reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
US and Israeli attacks killed top Iranian officials, including the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, early on in their war on Iran.
