A U.S. Treasury Department spokesperson told Iran International: “The Treasury minister will not be influenced by the threats of the Iranian government and remains committed to carrying out economic displacement operations and maintaining the blockade.” He added that these two measures, together, will push the Islamic Republic’s economy toward collapse.

An informed source also told Iran International: “After The Wall Street Journal published an article that contained an image and made it possible to identify the geographic location of the Treasury minister’s home in the Georgetown neighborhood, security concerns increased and, ultimately, the Treasury minister was forced to move to a military base to preserve his security.”

The source added: “As threats against government officials increase, the media are required to act responsibly.”