Unidentified drones were detected above the Washington Army base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reside, according to a Thursday report from The Washington Post, citing three sources familiar with the situation.
A senior administration official told the Post that the military is increasingly monitoring potential threats, as alert levels rise in the US amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Over the past 10 days, multiple drones were spotted flying over Fort McNair in a single night, though their origin remains unknown.
Fort McNair, which houses the National Defense University and some of the Pentagon’s top officials, is located near Capitol Hill and the White House. However, unlike other bases in the region, it lacks the same safety buffer, as noted by The Washington Post.
In response, a meeting was held at the White House to discuss the situation and consider relocating Rubio and Hegseth. The official clarified that neither official has been moved.
As global security threats mount, alerts have been issued for U.S. diplomatic posts worldwide, and several domestic military bases have been placed on lockdown. On Tuesday, the State Department ordered all US diplomatic posts to conduct immediate security assessments, citing the "potential for spillover effects" from the ongoing Middle East conflict.
The report noted that this week, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida raised their force protection level to Charlie, a designation indicating that intelligence suggests an attack or danger is possible. The higher Delta level is issued when an attack is imminent or has occurred.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to comment on the drones, stating, "The department cannot comment on the secretary’s movements for security reasons, and reporting on such movements is grossly irresponsible."
The report also highlighted that US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base was placed on lockdown twice this week. The FBI is investigating a suspicious package that led to the closure of the base's visitors center on Monday. The base was also placed under a shelter-in-place order for several hours on Wednesday following an unspecified security incident.
An Air Force spokesperson explained, "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."
Rubio pushed for "gold standard" in Saudi nuclear agreement
In related news, Democratic lawmakers have urged Rubio to push for "gold standard" non-proliferation measures in any agreement regarding Saudi nuclear power technology. While in the Senate, Rubio insisted that any deal with Saudi Arabia must include safeguards to prevent the enrichment of uranium or the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, potential pathways to nuclear weapons.
Despite these concerns, the Trump administration is currently negotiating a deal that does not include these non-proliferation safeguards.
US Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Jeff Merkley of Oregon recently wrote to Rubio, urging him to "immediately reconsider these plans and seek an agreement that meets the 'gold standard,' consistent with longstanding bipartisan consensus."
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who holds significant power in the kingdom, has said Saudi Arabia would seek to develop nuclear weapons if Iran pursues the same.
The Trump administration may soon submit a 123 Agreement to Congress, though its timing is uncertain given the ongoing conflict over Iran’s nuclear program. If neither the Senate nor the House passes a resolution opposing the agreement within 90 days of submission, the U.S. would be allowed to share nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia.
