US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has relocated from his home in the Washington area to a military base "for his safety," an official source familiar with the situation confirmed on Wednesday – amid threats linked to Iran.

Bessent is the third senior official in US President Donald Trump's cabinet reported to have moved into military housing, following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Bessent has spearheaded a US push to cripple Iran's economy since the start of the Middle East war through a web of sanctions.

Bessent "will not be deterred by the Iranian regime's threats" and will continue implementing actions which are "collapsing Iran's economy," a Treasury spokesperson said.

US national intelligence chief Jay Clayton warned last month that Tehran has "substantially increased" its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond.

Bessent's relocation came after officials determined the Treasury chief's Washington home could be geolocated following publication of a photo of the property.

"Security concerns began to increase which have now forced the Secretary to relocate to a military base for his safety," the source said. "The news media has an obligation to act responsibly amid growing threats against public officials."

Washington ordered non-essential US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia last month, following increasing attacks from Tehran-backed Houthi fighters.

The US military has also removed some aircraft from two British bases in recent weeks following reported threats from Iran.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war appear to be gathering steam, with Rubio saying on Tuesday that the US squeeze of Iran's economy made further attacks unnecessary. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong