US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has relocated from his Georgetown mansion in Washington, DC, to a United States military base following increased security concerns. The move was first reported by The New York Times on Tuesday, citing three sources familiar with the matter. According to an anonymous source close to the issue, threats against Bessent intensified after a January 2025 article in The Wall Street Journal published a grainy aerial photograph of his residence that allowed for geolocation.
The Treasury Department stated that Bessent remains committed to executing Operation Economic Outcast and maintaining the economic blockade against Iran. In an emailed statement to Reuters, a spokesperson said the secretary would not be deterred by the Iranian regime’s threats. This relocation places Bessent in the company of at least six other senior US officials who have left their Washington-area homes for protected housing over the past year, including White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The security shifts in the United States mirror growing tensions across the Atlantic. The UK is also facing threats tied to Iran, prompting the US military to move aircraft from a second British airbase. On Monday, two US refuelling tankers and several other aircraft using Royal Air Force Mildenhall in eastern England were diverted to Germany and other locations. This action came after The Wall Street Journal reported the moves were made in the wake of a threat from Iran.
These developments follow a series of security incidents in the UK. Weeks prior, five men were arrested outside RAF Fairford in southwest England over a security incident, with two others later arrested on suspicion of assisting Iranian intelligence. In September, a British bomb disposal robot was deployed near the base, leading to the evacuation of 85 homes. Shortly after, the US recalled B-1 bombers that had been stationed at Fairford for use in strikes against Iran.
On Wednesday, US prosecutors charged three men with plotting to target the airbase. They are accused of acting in support of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah. US officials noted that these three men had played roles in nearly 20 attacks across the US and Europe. Although Tehran’s ambassador to the UK denied involvement in a scheme against RAF bases, the IRGC previously declared that any base used to launch attacks against Iran was a legitimate target.
Andreas Krieg, an associate professor of defence studies at King’s College London, described the situation as a deliberate expansion of Iran’s retaliation campaign beyond the Middle East. He noted that Tehran increasingly views American military facilities in Europe as integral to the infrastructure sustaining the war. While analysts have previously suggested that the withdrawal of the US fleet from the UK reduced Washington’s ability to rapidly sustain bombing missions, the current episode highlights the vulnerability of US alliances and overseas basing.
In the United States, a senior intelligence official warned in a memo last month that Iranian plots against US personnel and citizens had reached an advanced stage. This follows high-profile incidents such as the 2024 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Although Iran rejected accusations of trying to kill Trump at the time, it has repeatedly denied plotting attacks on US soil.
Krieg argued that while Iran’s ability to conduct sophisticated attacks against heavily defended installations is limited, it possesses considerable reach through the IRGC and local surrogates. He explained that Tehran aims to export the costs of the war to countries supporting Washington. By forcing American aircraft to disperse and increasing security expenditures, Iran can achieve strategic effects without firing a shot. According to Krieg, relatively modest acts of sabotage combined with credible threats can impose disproportionate costs on the US and its allies.
