US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday delivered a defiant message to Iran's leadership, declaring that threats against his life would not deter him from pursuing the Trump administration's campaign to economically isolate the Islamic Republic.
Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Bessent confirmed that he had relocated from his Washington, DC, home to a military installation following threats attributed to Iran.
"F the Iranian leadership. I'm not going to be cowered that they have initiated death threats against me [and] other members of the cabinet. We're not going to be cowered. It means that what we're doing, with Operation Economic Outcast, is working," Bessent declared.
The Treasury Secretary argued that the threats demonstrated the effectiveness of the administration's efforts to increase financial pressure on Tehran.
"Why am I going to be afraid when the brave military personnel in the Gulf, President (Donald) Trump, constantly receive death threats? What we're doing is working and the IRGC are like a dangerous, cornered animal," he added.
Bessent said he had followed the recommendations of the Secret Service in deciding to leave his private residence.
"So I follow Secret Service instructions and have moved from my home to a military base," he explained.
He also criticized The Wall Street Journal for publishing an aerial photograph of his Georgetown home in January 2025, saying the disclosure had contributed to his security concerns.
"Highly irresponsible and dangerous, and things like that have to stop," Bessent said.
The Treasury Secretary also addressed the administration's ongoing economic campaign against Iran, predicting that the pressure would eventually force the regime to return to negotiations.
Bessent accused Tehran of failing to honor an agreement reached earlier this year and pointed to increased oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz as evidence of the effectiveness of American policy.
Iran "will eventually want to make a deal. They didn't stick to the Memorandum of Understanding from Islamabad this summer. We're getting, some nights, more crude through the Strait of Hormuz than pre-conflict levels," he said.
"Eventually gravity is going to kick in. It's going to be a long, cold winter for the Iranians," Bessent warned.
He further suggested that Iran had missed an opportunity to secure more favorable terms from Washington before the recent US midterm elections.
"I think what was very unfortunate for the Iranians - they were offered a deal, and they probably would have gotten a better deal before the election. Now President Trump doesn't think we need a deal, and we're just going to keep squeezing them," he stated.
Bessent's remarks came several days after The New York Times reported that he had moved to a military base because of threats against his life linked to Iran.
According to the report, US intelligence officials recently concluded that Iranian plots targeting current and former American government officials had reached a more advanced stage.
Intelligence regarding threats against Bessent contributed to that assessment, sources familiar with the matter told the newspaper on condition of anonymity.
The Treasury Secretary has become a prominent target of the Iranian regime because of his leading role in the administration's efforts to restrict Tehran's access to international financial markets.
Since August, Bessent has overseen additional sanctions and restrictions on trade routes intended to further isolate Iran's economy and reduce the government's financial resources.
A central objective of the campaign has been to limit funding available to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which maintains extensive influence over Iran's military and economic institutions.
Although the full extent of the threats against Bessent has not been disclosed, American officials have warned that Tehran continues to pursue operations targeting individuals it regards as adversaries.
In September, shortly after unveiling Operation Economic Outcast, Bessent explained that the administration was seeking to compel Iran to negotiate rather than explicitly pursuing the overthrow of its government.
"The goal here is to create the conditions that they will want to come to the table. And the President’s been very clear. They have to give up their nuclear program. They have to turn over the highly enriched uranium, and they have to stop their support of proxies, and the strait has to be open," Bessent told NBC News at the time.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)