US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been relocated from his Washington DC residence to a military base following threats to his life linked to Iran, according to US media reports. The move underscores escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
CBS, the BBC's US partner, reported that the relocation occurred after a photograph of Bessent's home was published in the Wall Street Journal. The image reportedly allowed the location of his Georgetown residence to be geo-located, prompting security concerns.
Georgetown is an affluent neighborhood in Washington that is home to several government officials and prominent figures. A source told CBS that after the Wall Street Journal article featuring the online photo was published, security concerns intensified, leading authorities to move Bessent to a military base in the area.
The exact nature and severity of the threats against Bessent remain unclear. However, US intelligence has warned that Iran has "substantially increased" efforts to target Americans, including US officials.
In a statement, a Treasury Department spokesperson said only that Bessent "will not be deterred" by threats and "remains committed" to the US effort to pressure Iran's economy. The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.
Bessent has been at the forefront of efforts to isolate Iran economically through sanctions and a wider economic blockade. His relocation highlights the heightened security risks faced by officials involved in the US campaign against Iran.
In September, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned that Iran has "substantially increased" efforts to target Americans. The New York Times has reported that the Iranian effort includes the targeting of current and former US officials. One source told the newspaper this has "reached a more advanced stage".
Other US officials reportedly on Iran's list of potential targets include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Advisor John Bolton and Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley and Bolton's security teams were taken away by the Trump administration shortly after he returned to office last year.
Bessent is one of a number of administration officials who live on military bases. The White House's new chief of staff, Stephen Miller, was moved to a base in late 2025, before the conflict with Iran began. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both live on military bases, as did former Attorney General Pam Bondi and former intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard.
The US and Israel launched an air campaign against Iran in February, killing its leader and prompting the regime in Tehran to retaliate with strikes on US allies across the region and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world's oil and gas usually travels.
In June, the US and Iran reached a preliminary agreement to end the war and reopen the strait, but it collapsed within weeks after Iranian attacks on shipping resumed and the US reinstated its blockade.
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