Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has confirmed that he moved from his Washington home to a military base on Secret Service instructions after what he called Iranian death threats. The move was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, and Bessent addressed it in a CNBC interview, where he said, "F the Iranian leadership," adding that he is "not gonna be cowered." He said the threats against him and other cabinet members show that Washington's pressure campaign on Tehran, which the administration calls "Operation Economic Outcast," is working. He also described Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a "dangerous cornered animal" under growing financial pressure. The New York Times has reported that at least half a dozen senior officials have moved to military bases or secure housing over the past year.

Bessent also blamed the Wall Street Journal for part of the problem, saying the paper printed a geolocated photo of his Georgetown home the day he bought it, despite pleas from his team not to reveal its location. A source told Reuters that safety concerns grew after the Journal published an aerial view of the $12.5 million property, which Bessent bought shortly after his confirmation. The details of the Iranian threats have not been made public, and Iran has not been quoted in the reports I found. The episode shows how the confrontation with Iran is now reaching into the daily lives of senior US officials, not only the Strait of Hormuz and the battlefield.