A disturbing broadcast has drawn urgent attention in Washington, while officials remain silent about the specific protective measures now being considered.
The U.S. Secret Service said it is aware of a video aired by Iranian state television that may contain a threat to the life of Barron Trump, the younger son of U.S. President Donald Trump.
As highlighted by CNN
Media outlets linked to hardline supporters in Iran have repeatedly issued threats against Donald Trump and his family since the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and many of his relatives at the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran in February.
Earlier threats had been directed at First Lady Melania Trump. Barron Trump appears to have become a separate public target for the first time.
The U.S. Secret Service is aware of this video and investigates anything that could be perceived as a threat to the individuals we protect. For operational security reasons, we do not discuss protective intelligence matters.
– Nate Herring, spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service
What the video showed
The nearly three-minute video begins with English-language text asking where Barron Trump can be killed. It features stylized images of places where, according to publicly available information, the president’s younger son spends time. These include Trump Tower in New York.
At the end of the video, the narrator says that people are allegedly “eagerly awaiting our $10 million reward.”
The video was aired by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Corporation, a state media outlet considered close to hardline supporters within Iran’s leadership. The head of the broadcaster is appointed directly by Iran’s supreme leader.
A source in federal law enforcement said the video is part of a campaign targeting the Trump family and the president himself. Some materials contained information about the movements of members of the presidential family and calls for them to be killed.
According to the source, security measures are constantly reviewed and adjusted based on information from the Secret Service, other agencies, police, and foreign partners.
Previous threats against Donald Trump
In July, Donald Trump publicly spoke about the danger posed by Iran.
I am on some kind of list… So far, I may have been a little lucky, but perhaps that will not last long. These are evil, sick people.
– Donald Trump
He made these remarks at a NATO summit in Turkey before secretly leaving the country aboard an alternative military aircraft. According to available information, the president boarded while hiding in a catering truck, as security measures had been heightened because of an Iranian threat.
A person familiar with the situation said the threat involved the possible use of a shoulder-fired missile. The threat was considered so specific that officials feared a serious risk to Trump’s life if he flew on any version of the presidential aircraft, Air Force One.
U.S. authorities have long warned that Iran could attempt to kill Trump. Such assessments emerged after the drone strike he authorized in 2020 that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
During the multi-day funeral ceremonies following Khamenei’s death in July, regime supporters held signs calling for Trump’s killing and offered a reward to anyone who avenged the death of their leader. Anti-American demonstrations, including chants of “Death to America” and flag burnings, have regularly taken place at state-organized rallies in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.