US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent relocated after alleged Iranian threats
🔎 Nguồn: Chính thống · khách quan, có nguồn
Original (en)
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent relocated after alleged Iranian threats
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been moved from his Washington DC home to a military base after Iran-linked threats to his life, according to US media reports.
CBS, the BBC's US partner, said the relocation came after a photo of Bessent's home was published in the Wall Street Journal.
Bessent has been at the forefront of efforts to isolate Iran economically through sanctions and a wider economic blockade.
While the exact nature of the threats against Bessent remain unclear, US intelligence has warned that Iran has "substantially increased" efforts to target Americans, including US officials.
"After the Wall Street Journal published an article featuring an online photo that allowed the location of the secretary's Georgetown home to be geo-located, security concerns began to increase," a source told CBS.
Georgetown is an affluent part of Washington that is home to a number of government officials and prominent residents.
Those security concerns, the source added, prompted authorities to move Bessent to a military base in the area.
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.
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 that 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 a blockade targeting Iranian ports.
Related topics
Trump says more US attacks on Iran 'highly unlikely'
Published 2 days ago
Iran trying harder to target US personnel in Middle East, intelligence chief warns
Published 24 October
Three Iran-backed suspects plotted attacks including RAF Fairford incident, US says
Published 23 hours ago
The video playlist
Watch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC
0:28 Witness describes 'horrific' Washington shooting scene. 00:00:28, play video Witness describes 'horrific' Washington shooting scene
0:16 Carrick leaves Man Utd training ground after sacking. 00:00:16, play video Carrick leaves Man Utd training ground after sacking
0:38 Princess of Wales visits early years project. 00:00:38, play video Princess of Wales visits early years project
0:51 Four grizzly bears killed after fatal attack on mum and daughter. 00:00:51, play video Four grizzly bears killed after fatal attack on mum and daughter
1:09 Why are 50 world leaders meeting in Dublin? 00:01:09, play video Why are 50 world leaders meeting in Dublin?
0:59 Can Manchester United be fixed? 00:00:59, play video Can Manchester United be fixed?
1:16 Bodybuilder aged 78 has no plans to stop. 00:01:16, play video Bodybuilder aged 78 has no plans to stop
0:54 Which antidepressants are the most effective? 00:00:54, play video Which antidepressants are the most effective?
0:43 I'm a Celeb 2026 line-up revealed. 00:00:43, play video I'm a Celeb 2026 line-up revealed
1:05 Are branded cold and flu tablets really worth the extra money? 00:01:05, play video Are branded cold and flu tablets really worth the extra money?
0:30 Gochujang mince gnocchi. 00:00:30, play video Gochujang mince gnocchi
0:58 Who makes the decisions at Manchester United? 00:00:58, play video Who makes the decisions at Manchester United?
0:48 Temperatures to dip to -5C in parts of the UK. 00:00:48, play video Temperatures to dip to -5C in parts of the UK
0:49 How would you describe your ethnicity? 00:00:49, play video How would you describe your ethnicity?
0:44 More people stockpiling after UK 'Be Ready' campaign. 00:00:44, play video More people stockpiling after UK 'Be Ready' campaign
1:10 Man tackled by fast food worker after attempted theft. 00:01:10, play video Man tackled by fast food worker after attempted theft
1:31 Family say police 'failed miserably' after they left man to die in cell. 00:01:31, play video Family say police 'failed miserably' after they left man to die in cell
0:56 Workers across Spain stage first general strike in 14 years. 00:00:56, play video Workers across Spain stage first general strike in 14 years
Live. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang quits in wake of affair with suspected Chinese spy, as firm's stocks plunge
30326 viewing 30k viewing
The rise and fall of Jensen Huang - how the tech superstar became mired in scandal
Published 25 minutes ago
Live. One killed and four injured in Washington DC shooting as police confirm suspect also dead
11918 viewing 12k viewing
More to explore
Are max strength cold and flu pills worth the money?
'You're triggering me': How to understand your therapy-speak teen
Trying Tourette's device was the best day of my life
How much art does your council own and is it locked away or on display?
'Five years of Long Covid and my symptoms are worse'
I saved a stranger's life and my husband's at the same time
'How am I meant to plan anything?' The frustration of a seven-month driving test backlog
'My darling girl, you are everything to me' - auctioned letters reveal WWI love story
Elsewhere on the BBC
Fearless documentary-maker Philomena Cunk investigates cinema
Which portable heater gives the most heat for the lowest energy used?
The Highland Cops return to work in breathtaking landscapes
Who should replace Maya Jama on Love Island?
Most read
1. 1Teenage girl admits murder in row over boy
2. 2Faisal Islam: Why the UK economy is surprisingly resilient
3. 3The rise and fall of Jensen Huang - how the tech superstar became mired in scandal
4. 4Ukraine says military Starlink disrupted again as US envoys meet Putin in Moscow
5. 5'You're triggering me': How to understand your therapy-speak teen
6. 6Schools, libraries and parents face 'difficult decision' over David Walliams books
7. 7Woman dies after being hit by van on Edinburgh City Bypass as man arrested
8. 8Some under-25s should get fewer benefits, Milburn review to say
9. 9Drugs running was like 'a paper round' for exploited son, mum says
10. 10Russell Brand's social media accounts disabled by Meta