Iran War: Mystery drones spotted over Washington Army base where Rubio, Hegseth live amid escalating conflict

Amid the escalating Middle East conflict where Iran has been striking Gulf nations, US officials spotted unidentified drones over a Washington Army base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth live, according to three people briefed on the matter, Wall Street Journal reported.

Two of them said authorities have not yet established where the drones came from.

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The military is keeping a closer watch on potential threats due to heightened alert levels as the United States and Israel carry out strikes on Iran, a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the security situation.

Several drones were seen over Fort McNair on one night in the past 10 days, the official said, leading to tighter security and a White House meeting to decide how to respond.

The sightings in Washington come as the US issued a global security alert for its diplomatic posts abroad and tightened security at several bases at home due to threats. This week, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida raised their force protection level to Charlie — meaning intelligence suggests a possible attack or danger. The only higher level, Delta, is used when an attack has taken place or is expected.

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The drones over Fort McNair also led officials to consider moving Rubio and Hegseth, two people briefed on the matter said. A senior administration official said the secretaries have not been moved. Their living quarters at the base were reported by several outlets in October.

Sean Parnell, Chief Pentagon spokesman declined to discuss the drones. “The department cannot comment on the secretary’s movements for security reasons, and reporting on such movements is grossly irresponsible,” he said.

The State Department also did not respond to requests for comments.

Facilities at MacDill Air Force Base, which houses US Central Command overseeing military operations against Iran, were shut down twice this week, officials said. The FBI is investigating a suspicious package that forced the closure of the base’s visitors centre for several hours on Monday. On Wednesday, another security incident led to a shelter-in-place order that remained in force for hours, the base said in a statement.

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“To ensure the safety and security of our people and the mission, commanders adjust their installation’s security posture in accordance with local threat assessments,” an Air Force spokesperson said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the State Department directed all US diplomatic missions worldwide to carry out immediate security reviews, pointing to “the ongoing and developing situation in the Middle East and the potential for spillover effects,” according to a cable seen by The Washington Post.

Fort McNair is home to the National Defense University and several of the Pentagon’s most senior military officials. While the base has not typically been used to house political leaders, more members of the Trump administration, including outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, have moved to bases in the area, citing safety concerns.

The base is located close to Capitol Hill and the White House, but it does not have the same level of security buffer as some other installations in the region.

US officials say similar drone threats have emerged around President Donald Trump and other senior leaders in recent years, linked to Iran’s retaliation plans after the 2020 killing of General Qasem Soleimani.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, security teams protecting Trump repeatedly spotted unidentified drones, including at a press event in Los Angeles and during a motorcade in Pennsylvania. In September that year, officials warned Trump that Iran was plotting to kill him and may have deployed multiple teams inside the US. While no direct link was found between Iran and the assassination attempts that year, authorities said a connection could not be ruled out.

Threats from Iran against former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Adviser John Bolton led the Biden administration to continue their security protection, which was later withdrawn by Trump in 2025.