Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has moved from his Washington-area home to a military base following threats against his life linked to Iran, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing three sources. The report describes the relocation as part of a broader pattern of protective measures for senior members of the Trump administration, as American officials assess that Iranian plots against US officials have entered a more advanced phase.
Bessent has led the administration's effort since August to isolate Iran through sanctions and by limiting the trade routes available to Tehran. A Treasury spokesperson said Bessent is not deterred by the threats and remains committed to that work. The Times reported that it is unclear how serious the threats against him are. It also noted that Iran has limited capacity to carry out large-scale attacks on American soil, although US officials still regard some targeted plots as credible.
The Times reported that at least six senior Trump administration officials were moved to military bases or secured housing last year. Stephen Miller, now White House chief of staff, is among those who were relocated. Pam Bondi, then serving as attorney general, was also moved, and the threats reportedly intensified after the seizure of Nicolás Maduro. Staff in the Middle East have been placed on heightened alert, and embassy staffing is being reduced in the region.
The concern is not new. The FBI has placed Shahram Poursafi, a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, on its Most Wanted Terrorists list. Authorities accuse him of soliciting the murders of two former officials between 2021 and 2022. One alleged target was former national security adviser John Bolton. The plot was reportedly tied to the 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani, and Poursafi allegedly offered up to $300,000 for the killing. The plot failed, because the person he contacted was an FBI source.
The FBI has also placed two other IRGC officials on wanted posters, extending the bureau's public effort to identify those it believes are behind the plotting. Taken together, the measures show Washington trying to protect officials who are central to its pressure campaign against Tehran while acknowledging that the threat picture remains unsettled.
In the same news cycle, the Times noted a separate item: former President Joe Biden's memoir, Promise Me, America, reprints a friendly letter from Trump dated January 2021. That detail sits apart from the reporting on Bessent's security arrangements, which centers on the escalating Iranian threat and the steps being taken to keep senior officials safe.