US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has confirmed that he relocated from his Washington residence to a military base on Secret Service instructions following Iranian death threats, delivering a blunt rebuke to Tehran’s leadership and criticising The Wall Street Journal for publishing a geolocatable image of his home.

Speaking during an interview on CNBC, Bessent said the threats against him and fellow cabinet members show that Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Tehran, dubbed “Operation Economic Outcast”, is taking a toll.

“You know what I gotta say, is F the Iranian leadership. I’m not gonna be cowered that they have initiated death threats against me, other members of the cabinet. We’re not gonna be cowered, and it means what we are doing with Operation Economic Outcast is working,” Bessent told CNBC.

Drawing comparisons to the risks faced by American troops stationed in the Persian Gulf and President Donald Trump, Bessent described Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as increasingly desperate under mounting financial isolation.

“And, you know, why am I gonna be afraid when our brave military personnel in the Gulf, President Trump constantly receives death threats? And, you know, what we are doing is working, and the IRGC, they’re like a dangerous cornered animal,” he said.

While confirming his move to a military installation, Bessent also accused The Wall Street Journal of endangering his safety by publishing a photograph of his Georgetown property shortly after he purchased it, despite appeals from his team not to disclose its location.

“So, I follow the Secret Service instructions and have moved from my home to a military base. And I do wanna say that one of the reasons I’ve had to move is because the Wall Street Journal printed a photo of my house the day I bought it, that has geolocation on it. And in a highly irresponsible way, the editor—we pleaded with her not to print the location of my house, but she did anyway. Highly irresponsible and dangerous, and things like that have to stop too,” Bessent stated.

Also read: US treasury chief Scott Bessent relocated to military base amid Iranian threats: Report

The remarks came after The Wall Street Journal reported that Bessent moved from his residence in Washington, DC, to a US military base earlier this week following alleged threats to his life from Iran.

Earlier on Thursday, US President Donald Trump warned Iran of severe consequences if Tehran targets American officials, saying those responsible “will not exist any longer”, while asserting that he would not hesitate to use military force if the situation takes an unfavourable turn.

In a phone interview with Salem News Channel, Trump was asked what Washington would do if Iran killed a US official, such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

“They will not exist any longer,” Trump responded, issuing a stark warning to Tehran.

Trump also said he would consider it a defeat if Iran’s current leadership remained in power when he leaves office.

Asked whether it would amount to a failure if the “Iran crazies” were still ruling the country at the end of his presidency, Trump replied, “Yes, that would be a defeat.”

“Yep, I would say that would be a defeat. Absolutely,” he added.

Addressing the possibility of further military action against Iran, Trump said he had no hesitation about using force to prevent Tehran from threatening US allies and maritime interests.

Also read: Arab, Muslim leaders urge Trump to hold off fresh Iran strikes, prioritise diplomacy: Report

When asked whether he would hesitate to use military force to stop Iran from “terrorising our allies and our ships”, Trump said, “No hesitation.”

He further claimed that the United States was making progress in its operations against Iran and said Washington was extracting more oil than before the conflict began.

“We control the Gulf in terms of the Hormuz Strait. We control it. Totally control it,” he said.

Indicating that Washington could escalate its response depending on how developments unfold, Trump added, “But the answer is, if I saw things going the other way, I would do that, and it’s possible I would do it right now.”