Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly been moved to a military base following threats to his life from Iran as tensions remain between Washington and Tehran.
Scott Bessent Moves to Military Base
The New York Times, on Tuesday, reported that Bessent had been moved to an unspecified military base in a bid to deter increased Iranian threats of an assassination attempt on the Treasury Secretary.
Fox News then cited an unnamed senior administration official, who confirmed the news. The official cited in the report said that the threat was proof that the Operation Economic Outcast was working.
The White House and the Treasury Department did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.
“Threats against Sec. Bessent reached more than an advanced stage, which is why he and his family made the move,” the official cited in the Fox News report said.
Bessent has become the latest in a series of senior officials in the President Donald Trump administration to move into a military base since last year, including White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Operation Economic Outcast
The reported threat comes as the Treasury Department, headed by Bessent, has introduced several restrictions on Iran via the Operation Economic Outcast, introduced in August, initially targeting 60 entities, individuals, vessels and more linked to Iran with sanctions.
Bessent had also targeted oil vessels linked to Iran with sanctions and the country was finding it difficult to transport oil due to the sanctions. The restrictions also aimed to restrict the Iranian aviation sector, warning companies, airports and countries would be kicked out of the dollar system for allowing Iranian flights.
“Iran cannot live without oil exports,” Bessent had said in a social media post earlier this month, reiterating that the restrictions on oil, as well as the U.S.’s naval blockade, were working. He had also said that oil movement out of the Middle East had surpassed pre-conflict levels.
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