US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly been moved from his home in Washington, D.C., to a military base due to threats on his life from Iran.
The New York Times, citing officials familiar with the matter, said U.S. officials had concluded that Iranian plots against current and former U.S. officials had reached a more advanced stage.
Separately, Reuters reported that the seriousness of the threats against Bessent was not immediately clear.
Mr. Bessent has been leading Operation Economic Outcast, a Treasury campaign launched in August to isolate Iran economically through sanctions and other financial measures, in addition to U.S. military action.
The Times reported that Besent’s role in the campaign made him one of the Trump administration officials Iran most wanted to target.
The move came after the Justice Department announced late Tuesday that three Iranians had been indicted on terrorism-related charges.
The three men are suspected of being involved in nearly 20 attacks or attempted attacks across Europe and the United States, the ministry said.
The alleged plot included a September 2026 attack targeting Fairford Air Force Base in the UK, where US military personnel are stationed.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing U.S. service members will be prosecuted by the U.S. government.”
In early October, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Iran was involved in the incident at Air Force Fairford, where five people were arrested on suspicion of explosives and terrorist offences.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi subsequently denied the claims, writing to X that Mr Burnham was “barking up the wrong tree”.
RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire is the US Air Force’s main operating base in Europe and has supported the deployment of US strategic bombers and other aircraft.
Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly said that if economic sanctions and the US naval blockade are working, military action against Iran may not be necessary.
On Monday, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that “Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and others want to maintain the status quo, which is to continue the largest naval blockade in history.”
President Trump added: “We see positive momentum toward ending this conflict.”
Asked Tuesday why he did not simply declare an end to the Iran war, President Trump said he wanted to make sure that America’s allies in the region were “not hurt” and that “there is a long-term solution.”
However, Iranian officials denied that negotiations were underway. Security chief Mohsen Rezaei said the claims that the talks were ongoing were aimed at “relieving economic pressure and lowering oil prices.”
Brent crude oil prices and West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices rose slightly during Asian trading on Wednesday, to about $92 and $86 per barrel, respectively.
