The Treasury secretary has spearheaded the administration’s economic pressure campaign against Tehran.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is spearheading efforts to economically isolate Iran, was moved into temporary military housing after threats from the Islamic Republic.
President Trump on Thursday authorized a crack down on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia's advanced AI chips to China for the third time this year — even consulting Elon Musk before giving the go-ahead. One administration official has repeatedly stood in the way: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Why it matters: This standoff illustrates a breakdown in efforts to keep American technology out of China's hands as the world wonders why the Trump administration has not taken action against the company at the center of suspected chip smuggling — and an espionage scandal. This report was assembled from interviews with six high-level sources who were briefed on or, in some cases, heard the discussions. Inside the room: On Thursday, as the spy scandal rocked the administration, Lutnick met in the Situation Room with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During the meeting, Bessent confronted Lutnick about why his department has resisted implementing the export controls, particularly on Megaspeed, the company at the center of the spy scandal. The group sided with Bessent. Lutnick appeared to agree, but then muttered under his breath, "I need to check with the president." Friction point: Lutnick's seemingly innocuous comment raised concerns, the sources said, because officials have repeatedly believed the Commerce Department would impose the export controls, only to have nothing happen. "He's stalling it out," said one official, describing how Lutnick had previously met privately with the president to change his mind about the export limit. "This is an ongoing concern with Howard and this issue," said another. This time , one person in the room called his bluff by saying: "Great. Why don't we do it today?" Around 5pm, the group headed to the Oval Office. Trump called tech advisor Elon Musk and agreed to move forward. Musk supported Rubi
Recent U.S. intelligence showed that Iran has stepped up efforts to target American personnel in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is the latest U.S. official to be threatened or targeted by Iran, but he is far from the first.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has become at least the fifth Trump administration official to move into military housing, as senior officials increasingly seek more secure accommodations while facing heightened security concerns. Reports emerged this week that Bessent had relocated from his Washington-area home following an Iran-linked threat against his life. He joins a growing list […]
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent moved from his home in the nation’s capital to a military base due to Iranian threats, a source familiar with the situation told The Hill. Security concerns regarding Bessent increased after the Wall Street Journal published an article in January 2025 that included an aerial photo of Bessent’s Georgetown mansion, the…
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confronted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last week about why the administration had not put restrictions on advanced chip sales to Megaspeed.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday the U.S. and China should have a “more balanced” trading relationship, days after President Trump said he expects to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month. “The U.S. trade imbalance with China has long been a source of friction,” Bessent said at the National Committee on U.S.-China…
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly relocated from his Washington-area residence to a military base after U.S. officials received an advance threat against his life from Iran. Bessent has played a central role in the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken Iran economically. He has overseen initiatives dubbed “Economic Fury” and “Economic Outcast,” which seek to […]
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was reportedly relocated to a military base as Iranian assassination plots against U.S. officials intensify.
House Republicans block impeachment resolution that cited US military actions in Iran, Yemen and Venezuela. Plus, SS United States to be sunk to create artificial reef Good morning. House Republicans have blocked an effort to impeach Pete Hegseth . The defense secretary dismissed the impeachment resolution from a Republican lawmaker as “political spectacle”, saying it was an attempt to set up a “show trial” . Top Democrats announced their support for the resolution, but Republicans moved to kill it by referring it to the judiciary committee. Thomas Massie’s 34-page resolution, which he read aloud on the House floor, centered on the Iran war. Hegseth said the articles targeted not just him but the troops who carried out his orders. He insisted that every operation the articles cite – including strikes on Iran and Yemen, attacks on alleged drug boats and the capture of Venezuela’s now former leader Nicolás Maduro – was lawful, ordered by Donald Trump and notified to Congress. Why has the US Treasury chief reportedly moved? Scott Bessent has relocated from his home in the Washington area to a military base after an Iranian threat against his life, the New York Times reported. Bessent has led the US sanctions and economic pressure campaign against Iran, called Operation Economic Outcast, since August. Continue reading...
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has relocated with his family from his private residence to a military base after Iranian threats against his life escalated beyond an “advanced stage,” according to reports Tuesday. The post Report: ‘Advanced-Stage’ Iranian Threats Force Bessent, Architect of Trump’s Economic Warfare, into Military Housing appeared first on Breitbart .
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hailed an improvement in US-China engagement ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Asian nation next week, and said he expects further dialogue on artificial intelligence models.
The Treasury secretary, who is leading an economic pressure campaign against Iran, is the latest Trump official to leave his home over security concerns.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is pressing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other Trump administration officials to end new tariffs and issue grocery reimbursements for Michigan residents being hit with rising prices. “The unpredictable federal tariff policy has left Michiganders with the highest tariff burden in the nation,” Whitmer wrote in a letter to Bessent.…
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has moved from his Washington-area home to a military base after Iranian threats against his life, according to a report published Tuesday. The New York Times, citing three people familiar with the matter, reported that Bessent recently relocated after American officials concluded that Iranian plots against current and former U.S. officials ...
The U.S.’s economic isolation campaign against Iran is “decimating” the country’s economy, according to a Treasury Department report released Friday. The Trump administration launched its sweeping economic pressure campaign, dubbed Operation Economic Outcast, at the end of August. During a Wednesday appearance on CNBC, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the effort has been “very successful.”…
FBI Director Kash Patel and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Minnesota on Friday to announce 17 local anti-fraud raids — as Bessent chastised Gov. Tim Walz as "woefully negligent" in protecting public funds.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Democratic-led states Friday of having poor fraud prevention mechanisms while at a Minnesota press conference. The state has been at the center of a healthcare fraud scandal for much of this year after the Justice Department indicted more than a dozen people on accusations of defrauding taxpayers, using funds for…
Top Trump administration officials are set to announce new anti-fraud measures Friday in Minnesota as the White House steps up its crackdown on fraud involving federal assistance and healthcare programs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, FBI Director Kash Patel, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz and Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson will…
U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of forces in the Middle East, briefed President Trump Thursday on the state of the Iran war, with a focus on the ongoing naval blockade , according to two U.S. officials. Why it matters: As he did before Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025 and Operation Epic Fury in February, Trump is pursuing dual tracks — trying to reach a deal to restart peace talks while also preparing for a possible resumption of major combat operations after the midterms. Behind the scenes: Trump wanted to hear directly from the CENTCOM head on whether the naval blockade is working, the U.S. officials said. Cooper also briefed Trump on the military operation for guiding oil tankers out of the Strait of Hormuz to global energy markets. And he updated Trump on the economic pressure campaign the military is conducting in concert with the Treasury Department. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and other senior officials also attended the meeting, the officials said. The White House and CENTCOM declined to comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported the meeting. Driving the news: A group of regional mediators led by Qatar is trying to get the U.S. and Iran to head off a resumption of war after the midterms in favor of negotiations. "The mediation is at a very sensitive stage," a regional source said. Qatari mediators recently delivered a letter from Vice President Vance to Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Gen. Mohsen Rezaei. Vance proposed restarting negotiations but stressed that any talks would have to address Iran's nuclear program. Trump and Vance met Wednesday to discuss a possible gesture of goodwill toward Iran, such as sending humanitarian goods like food and medicine, according to a source with knowledge. Later in the day, Trump publicly backed the idea. What they're saying: U.S. Amba
