The US State Department has notified congress that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former assistant Secretary of State Brian Hook are still subjected to highly credible threats from Iran.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Former Assistant Secretary of State Brian Hook

In a letter to congress, Deputy Secretary of State for Management Brian McKeon said he determined “that the specific threat with respect to former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and former assistant Secretary of State Brian still persists.” McKeon added the threats are coming from a “serious and credible threat from a foreign power or agent of a foreign power.”

Deputy Secretary of State for Management Brian Mckeon

Since President Biden took office, Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook have been under 24-hour protection. The government security details cost the State Department an average of $2 million per month.

The threats against Pompeo and Hook stemmed after a US drone strike in Baghdad that eliminated Iranian Commander Qassem Soleimani. According to then-president Donald Trump, Soleimani was responsible for the deaths of US soldiers and was actively working with proxy fighters to inflict harm on US soldiers operating in the region. Following the strike, Iran vowed revenge for Soleimani’s death, with senior Iranian officials saying, “his death will be avenged when the enemy least expects it.”