Washington, DC: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Moves to a Military Base After Iranian Threats Against His Life

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has recently moved from his residence in Washington, DC, to a US military base after Iranian threats against his life, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. The New York Times first reported the move. A Treasury spokesperson confirmed the relocation in an emailed statement to Reuters. The base was not named in the reports, and the severity of the threats was not immediately clear, The New York Times reported.

The campaign Bessent leads against Iran

Bessent has led the US sanctions and economic pressure campaign against Iran, dubbed Operation Economic Outcast, since August, Reuters reported. The campaign aims to push Tehran to end attacks on shipping and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway has been largely closed since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, 2026, Reuters reported. The pressure campaign runs alongside a US naval blockade of Iranian ports and has included sanctions on Middle Eastern bank branches and other financial services firms that facilitate transactions with Iran, Reuters reported.

"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," a US Treasury spokesperson said in the emailed statement reported by Reuters.

A warning that plots had advanced

A senior intelligence official in the Trump administration warned in a memo seen by Reuters late in October 2026 that Iranian plots against US personnel and American citizens had reached an advanced stage. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that security concerns around Bessent grew when The Wall Street Journal published an aerial view of the Georgetown mansion Bessent bought for $12.5 million shortly after his confirmation as Treasury secretary in January 2025. The photo allowed Bessent's home to be geolocated, and he was relocated to a military base for his safety, the source said. The source added that the news media has an obligation to act responsibly amid growing threats against public officials. Iran has previously denied plotting to attack officials and people on US soil, Reuters reported, and The New York Times reported that US officials have noted that Iran's ability to carry out large-scale attacks in the United States and other territories overseas is limited.

The latest official to move onto a base

Bessent is the latest top Trump official to move onto a military base amid suspected threats, USA TODAY reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are neighbors on a military base in Washington, DC, Rubio previously said on a podcast, according to USA TODAY. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also lived on a Washington area base toward the end of her tenure, USA TODAY reported. The report of Bessent's move came on the same day FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the Justice Department had indicted three Iranian backed operatives suspected of being behind nearly 20 plots across the United States and Europe, USA TODAY reported. Pentagon officials told Congress at the end of October that the war with Iran has cost more than $47 billion so far, USA TODAY reported.