Washington (America). United States Treasury Secretary Scott Besant recently left his home and moved to a military base after receiving death threats from Iran. Three people with this information gave this sensitive information on the condition of not revealing their identity.
In recent weeks, US officials have reportedly concluded that Iran's plots against current and former US officials have reached a more serious stage. This also includes intelligence related to the threat received by Besant.
The New York Times report reveals that since August, Besant has been leading an economic pressure campaign aimed at isolating Iran economically through tough sanctions and blocking trade routes.
According to these people, because of this role he has become one of those administration officials whom Iran wants to harm the most.
It is not yet clear how serious the threats he received are. US officials say Iran's ability to carry out large-scale attacks in the US and abroad is limited.
But, there have also been threats from Iran to target certain people which American officials consider serious. For example, a plot to assassinate President Trump was hatched during the 2024 election campaign.
A spokesperson of the Finance Department said in his statement that Besant is not afraid of threats from the Iranian regime. He is fully committed to continuing the campaign to put pressure on Iran's economy.
The New York Times believes Besant is the latest senior Trump administration official to leave his Washington-area home and move to a military base or other secure residence.
At least half a dozen officers did the same last year. These include Stephen Miller (who is now the White House Chief of Staff) and Pam Bondi (who was the Attorney General at the time).