The Washington Post reported Thursday that U.S. officials have identified drones flying over the military base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are currently staying.
According to three sources who spoke with the newspaper, it is not yet clear where the aircraft originated. The military is examining all potential threats more carefully in light of heightened security alert levels tied to the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran.
The report said several drones were spotted over Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington on one night within the past 10 days. Security measures were increased following their detection, and the White House held discussions on how to respond to the incident.
The Washington Post noted that in recent weeks the United States has raised alert levels at its diplomatic missions abroad and imposed entry and exit restrictions at several bases on its own soil due to threats linked to the war. Just this week, two bases in New Jersey and Florida raised their alert level to “Charlie,” the second-highest level, indicating intelligence of a possible attack or imminent threat.
The drones seen over Fort McNair prompted officials to consider relocating Rubio and Hegseth, the report said, though no such move has been carried out. Their residence at the base was publicly reported by several media outlets in October.
Fort McNair houses the National Defense University, a premier U.S. military education institution, and is home to some of the Pentagon’s most senior personnel. The base is not typically used to house political officials, but a growing number of Trump administration figures — including outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem — have moved to bases in the area, citing security concerns.
Fort McNair is located near the Capitol and the White House, but it lacks the same security buffer zone as other bases in the Washington area.
The Washington Post added that drone threats have surfaced around President Donald Trump and other senior officials several times in recent years, against the backdrop of Iran’s attempts to avenge the 2020 U.S. strike ordered by Trump that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the longtime commander of the Quds Force, which led terrorist operations and the arming of militant groups across the Middle East and beyond.
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Trump seen wounded after assassination attempt in July 2024
(Photo: AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Secret Service teams protecting Trump repeatedly encountered unidentified drones, including during a press conference in Los Angeles and while his motorcade traveled through a rural area of western Pennsylvania. At the time, officials briefed Trump that Iran was seeking to assassinate him and maintained several assassination cells inside the United States.
Although no evidence linked Iran to either of the two assassination attempts ultimately carried out against him that year, officials said they could not rule out such a connection.