U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
U.S. officials detected unidentified drones above an army base in Washington where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth live, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday (March 18, 2026), citing three people briefed on the situation.
The officials have not determined where the drones came from, the report said, citing two of the people.
Iran-Israel war LIVE updates – March 19, 2026
The drones over Fort McNair prompted officials to weigh relocating Rubio and Hegseth, the report said.
However, the secretaries have not moved, the report added, citing a senior administration official.
The newspaper said the U.S. military was monitoring potential threats more closely because of the heightened alert level over the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.
Reuters could not independently verify the report immediately. The Pentagon and the U.S. State Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell declined to discuss the drones with the Washington Post.
“The department cannot comment on the secretary’s (Hegseth’s) movements for security reasons, and reporting on such movements is grossly irresponsible,” he told the Post.
Published – March 19, 2026 09:51 am IST
