Scott Bessent moves onto a military base as Iranian threats escalate

The New York Times was first to report Bessent's move onto a military installation. Sources told Reuters the relocation followed Iranian threats against his life. The severity of those alleged threats wasn't immediately clear when the story broke.

The alarm around Bessent reportedly grew after the Wall Street Journal revealed last year that he had bought a mansion for $US12.5 million ($18.2 million), according to a person familiar with the matter. That article ran an aerial photo of the property, which the source said allowed it to be geolocated. The source wouldn't discuss the timing of the government's decision to move him.

The threat picture stretches wider than one official. An internal memo seen by Reuters last month quoted a senior Trump administration intelligence official saying Iranian plots against US personnel and American citizens are at an 'advanced stage'. Iran has denied plotting attacks on officials or people on US soil, and the New York Times reported US officials have noted Tehran's capacity for large-scale attacks on American territory is limited. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said last week it had lifted its self-imposed 2,000-kilometre cap on ballistic missile range, putting Greece, the Balkans, the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant and most of Egypt within reach.

Bessent has run Operation Economic Outcast against Iran since August, a pressure campaign aimed at pushing Tehran to stop attacks on shipping and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It has included sanctions on Middle Eastern bank branches and other financial firms handling transactions with Iran. '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 an emailed statement.

Bessent joins a tightly packed neighbourhood. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth live two doors down from one another on Generals' Row at Fort McNair in Washington, DC, a site that hasn't traditionally housed political leaders, according to The Washington Post. After Charlie Kirk's assassination, newly appointed White House chief of staff Stephen Miller moved into military housing at Fort McNair, and Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem reportedly lived in military housing during their tenures. The Atlantic has reported that the concentration of Trump officials in Washington-area military housing is straining availability for uniformed officers.