Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent let loose on the bloodthirsty Iranian regime Friday — declaring “F the Iranian leadership” after death threats forced him to abandon his $12.5 million Georgetown mansion and relocate to a military base.
“I’m not going to be cowed by the death threats they have made against me,” Bessent declared during a Friday appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” confirming he had moved under Secret Service instructions.
“The other cabinet members won’t be cowed either,” he added.
Bessent’s relocation was first reported Wednesday, after US officials raised concerns about Iranian threats against his life. The Treasury chief has become a central figure in President Trump’s campaign to financially cripple Tehran through sweeping sanctions.
A senior intelligence officer warned in an unclassified memo last month that Iranian plots targeting US personnel and American citizens have reached an advanced stage.
The severity of the specific threats against Bessent was not immediately clear, and Iran has previously denied plotting attacks against American officials or people on US soil.
Bessent suggested the threats were evidence that Trump’s economic pressure campaign was putting Tehran on its heels.
“What we’re doing is working,” he said, describing Iran as “a dangerous animal backed into a corner.”
“Why am I going to be afraid when our brave military personnel are in the Gulf, President Trump constantly receives death threats?” he added.
The Treasury secretary’s security concerns reportedly intensified after The Wall Street Journal published an aerial photograph of his Georgetown residence in January 2025, following his $12.5 million purchase of the property.
Bessent blasted the newspaper during Friday’s interview, stating his team has asked its editor not to publish the image because it could expose the exact location of his home.
He called the decision “extremely irresponsible and dangerous,” and insisted that “things like this must stop.”
A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that the photograph allowed the property to be geolocated, contributing to growing security concerns surrounding Bessent.
Bessent has been leading Trump’s economic pressure campaign against Iran, dubbed Operation Economic Outcast, since August.
The effort has targeted financial institutions and other firms accused of facilitating Iranian transactions, while a US naval blockade of Iranian ports has added to the pressure on Tehran.
The administration is seeking to force Iran to end attacks on shipping and reopen the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.
A Treasury Department spokesperson previously told The Post that Bessent would not be deterred by the Iranian regime’s threats and remained committed to the campaign, which the department said was helping collapse Iran’s economy.
Despite the escalating warnings, US officials have acknowledged that Iran’s ability to carry out large-scale attacks inside the US and other overseas territories is limited.
Bessent, meanwhile, made clear he had no intention of backing down.
