US Treasury Secretary relocated to military base amid Iranian threats
What's the story
United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been relocated to a military base after receiving threats from Iran, according to multiple reports. According to a New York Times report, the move comes after US officials assessed that the Iranian threats against current and former American officials had reached a more "advanced stage." A senior administration official confirmed to Fox News that Bessent and his family had made the move.
Economic pressure
Bessent has been at forefront of US sanctions campaign
Bessent has been at the forefront of a US campaign to impose stricter sanctions on Iran and disrupt its trade routes in a bid to isolate Iran financially.
This makes him one of the US officials that Tehran most wants to harm, according to the New York Times report.
In September, he had said that Iran would have "nothing left to trade for" as the economic pressure intensified with a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Security concerns
US officials believe Iran's large-scale attack capabilities are limited
Despite the threats, US officials believe that Iran's ability to launch large-scale attacks on American soil or abroad is limited.
However, targeted threats against individuals have been taken seriously by authorities.
Last month, the US government heightened security measures across the Middle East and reduced personnel at embassies due to intelligence indicating advanced planning of attacks against Americans by Iran.
Military response
Bombers moved to UK base amid suspected terrorist plot
The US military also moved bombers from a base in the United Kingdom on Monday.
President Donald Trump had earlier indicated that while he wanted to maintain the status quo in the region, the military was "locked and loaded" for potential strikes if necessary.
"At this point, taking the military action doesn't seem to be a very necessary thing - but we're locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason," he told reporters this week.