Scott Bessent was forced to abruptly pause a live television interview at the White House on Thursday after being urgently summoned by Donald Trump during the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Bessent was speaking with journalist Wilfred Frost from Sky News when an aide approached him and delivered the message that the president wanted to see him immediately. The interruption occurred at approximately 10:22 am. After receiving the message, Bessent removed his microphone, apologised to the interviewer and left the room.
The journalist reportedly waited for nearly two hours before the interview resumed. When Bessent returned, observers noted that he appeared visibly shaken and spoke with a slightly unsteady voice while answering questions.
During the resumed interview, Frost asked about the president’s state of mind amid the escalating conflict. Bessent responded by saying that Trump was “in great spirits” and added that the American mission against Iran was progressing “well ahead of schedule.”
While discussing the situation, Bessent praised both President Trump and Pete Hegseth, expressing confidence in their leadership. Referring to his teenage child who is considering military service, Bessent said he would trust the lives of American service members in their hands.
Throughout the remainder of the interview, Bessent avoided giving detailed answers about developments related to the conflict with Iran. His voice reportedly remained tense, and he offered limited comments about the broader military situation.
Bessent, aged 63, is the first openly gay individual to lead the United States Department of the Treasury. He and his husband, John Freeman, have two children — Cole and Caroline — who were born through surrogacy.
The interview disruption occurred amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following the war that began nearly two weeks earlier. The conflict has had significant global consequences, including energy supply disruptions after Iran blocked the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the broader conflict has continued to produce developments across the region. Four people were killed after a US military aircraft crashed in Iraq. An Iran-backed militant group operating in Iraq claimed responsibility for bringing down the aircraft, although the United States Department of Defense denied that the plane had been shot down.
In a separate development, Trump reportedly told leaders during a call with the Group of Seven that Iran was “about to surrender.” According to reports, the US president said that Washington had eliminated what he described as a major threat through a military operation referred to as “Operation Epic Fury.”
