Key facts
- The New York Times reported Bessent moved onto a military base after Iranian threats against his life.
- A senior intelligence official warned in a memo that Iran's lethal plots against US citizens had reached "advanced stages".
- Bessent has been the face of Washington's economic pressure campaign against Tehran during the US-Israeli war on Iran.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent moved out of his home and onto a military base after Iranian threats against his life, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. The report gave no date for the move, and Reuters said the severity of the threats to Bessent was not immediately clear.
A senior intelligence official in the Trump administration warned in a memo seen by Reuters late last month that Iran had ramped up efforts to target US personnel and that lethal plots by Tehran against American citizens had reached "advanced stages." Iran has previously denied plotting to attack officials and people on US soil.
US officials cited by the newspaper said Iran's ability to carry out large-scale attacks in the US and other territories overseas is limited. The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bessent has been the face of Washington's economic pressure campaign against Tehran during the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon during the war have killed thousands and displaced millions, and American and Israeli attacks have killed top Iranian officials, including late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.