U.S. Media: Unidentified Drones Detected Near Residences of Senior Officials Like Hegseth, U.S. Military Intensifies Monitoring of Potential Threats

【Global Times Report by Reporter Zhou Yang】According to the Washington Post on the 18th, citing multiple informed sources, unidentified drones have recently been spotted over Fort McNair military base in Washington, D.C. This base currently serves as the residence of U.S. Secretary of State Rubio and Secretary of Defense Hegseth. This unusual situation has raised deep concerns from the U.S. side.

An anonymous senior U.S. government official confirmed that the U.S. military has entered a heightened state of alert and is intensifying monitoring for potential threats. It is reported that on one night in the past 10 days, multiple unidentified drones appeared in the airspace over Fort McNair. This incident not only prompted the White House to hold an emergency meeting to discuss countermeasures but also directly led to an upgrade in security measures in the area.

Meanwhile, this week, the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida have raised their force protection level to "Charlie," indicating that commanders have received intelligence suggesting that an attack "may occur." MacDill Air Force Base, as the headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, is responsible for commanding military operations against Iraq and has implemented lockdowns twice this week. The FBI is investigating a suspicious package incident on the 16th that led to the closure of the visitor center at the base. On the 18th, the base issued a "shelter in place" order for several hours due to another undisclosed security incident.

Informed officials revealed that the unidentified drones over Fort McNair have forced the U.S. government to consider relocating Rubio and Hegseth to other, safer locations. However, the official confirmed that both are currently still residing at the base. The specific location of their residence on the base was exposed by several media outlets back in October of last year.

Fort McNair houses the National Defense University and serves as an office for several senior military officers from the Pentagon, but traditionally it is not a residential area for political figures. U.S. media reports that several senior officials from the Trump administration, including outgoing Secretary of Homeland Security Wolf, previously moved here for security reasons. Analysts point out that compared to other military bases in the capital region, Fort McNair lacks sufficient security buffer zones, but its proximity to Capitol Hill and the White House makes it more convenient.

The Washington Post states that such drone threats have not been seen for the first time around U.S. officials. U.S. officials believe this is related to Iran seeking revenge after the U.S. military airstrike that killed Iranian Quds Force commander Soleimani in 2020. On the 17th, the U.S. State Department issued a directive to all U.S. diplomatic missions worldwide, requiring immediate security assessments. A leaked diplomatic cable shows that this move aims to address the "continuing deterioration of the situation in the Middle East and its potential spillover effects."

Pentagon Chief Spokesman Sean Parnell declined to comment, stating only: "For security reasons, the Department of Defense cannot comment on the whereabouts of the Secretary; such reports are extremely irresponsible." The U.S. State Department also did not respond to media requests for comment.