US Treasury Secretary Bessent moves to military base after Iranian threats, NYT reports

WASHINGTON: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has moved out of his home and into a military base following threats against his life from Iran, the New York Times (NYT) reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The severity of the threats against Bessent was not immediately clear, the newspaper reported.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon during the war have killed thousands and displaced millions. American and Israeli attacks have also killed top Iranian officials, including the assassination of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The reported move comes amid heightened concerns within the US administration over alleged Iranian ‘efforts’ to target American officials and personnel.

A senior intelligence official in the Trump administration warned in a memo seen by Reuters late last month that Tehran’s efforts to target US personnel had intensified, with lethal plots against American citizens reaching “advanced stages”.

Iran has previously denied allegations that it was plotting attacks against US officials or individuals on American soil.

US officials have also assessed that Iran’s capacity to carry out large-scale attacks in the United States and other overseas territories remains limited, the New York Times reported.

Bessent has been the face of Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Tehran during the course of the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28.

The US Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tanker attacks persist in Middle East despite hopes of Iran war de-escalation

Fresh evidence of attacks on oil tankers and energy facilities across the Middle East has emerged, highlighting the continued security risks in the region despite growing market expectations that the conflict involving Iran could ease.

Crude oil prices fell to their lowest level in two months on Tuesday after US officials played down the prospect of further military action against Iran. Analysts also pointed to a more conciliatory approach by President Donald Trump following the Republicans’ losses in the November 3 midterm elections.

However, developments on the ground have offered little indication of a let-up in attacks on maritime and energy targets.

A total of 37 vessels came under attack in October, marking the highest monthly tally since the beginning of the war, according to data from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Fresh incidents have also been reported in November, with footage and satellite imagery providing evidence of another tanker fire near Oman’s coastline.

Videos circulated on social media on Sunday and verified by Reuters showed a tanker operated by Navig8 engulfed in flames off the coast of Oman. Separately, an image captured by the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on the same day showed a large plume of black smoke rising from the area.

Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, reported that three tankers had been struck on Sunday for allegedly using unauthorised routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The vessel is managed by Navig8, majority owned by ADNOC Logistics & Services. Neither replied to emailed Reuters requests for comment.

At the same time, US forces continued to enforce a naval blockade of Iranian ports. In the latest incident, a US military aircraft fired on and disabled a St Kitts-flagged cargo vessel that tried to depart regional waters after visiting an Iranian port on Saturday, US Central Command said.

Attacks in the strait have caused environmental damage, with oil leaking from damaged tankers. A video shared on social media on Monday, and verified by Reuters, showed oil reaching the shores of Oman, while satellite imagery showed oil spills off the coast of Oman and UAE. The Omani government did not respond to Reuters request on Tuesday for comment on the video of oil reaching Omani shores.

Elsewhere in the region, energy infrastructure and civilian facilities have also come under attack. Iran and its regional allies have struck targets including the offices of Saudi Aramco 2223.SE, the world’s largest oil company. Video verified by Reuters showed damage to Aramco’s office building in Riyadh, following Houthi-claimed missile strikes on November 8.

The Saudi Energy Ministry said that a building belonging to Aramco in Riyadh had been targeted in an attempted attack, with debris causing limited damage to the building with no injuries or fatalities.

The International Maritime Organization has confirmed 130 incidents, most of them attacks, in the region since the conflict began in late February, with at least 25 seafarers killed.

Another tanker was struck northeast of Oman’s Lima, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Tuesday. UKMTO did not say who struck it.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said in a separate statement that two tankers caught fire after hitting naval mines on the “unauthorized route” in the strait.