The United States Secret Service has confirmed that it is aware of an Iranian state television broadcast discussing a possible plot to assassinate Barron Trump, the 20-year-old youngest son of President Donald Trump.
The three-minute broadcast went beyond rhetoric against the US President, claiming that Barron was being monitored and alleging that a $10 million bounty had been offered for his killing.
Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring confirmed the agency was aware of the video and treating the development seriously.
“The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees,” Herring said.
He declined to reveal what security measures were being taken, citing concerns over protective intelligence and operational security.
According to Reuters, the Iranian state television video discussed a potential assassination plot against Barron and claimed that his movements were under watch.
The $10 million bounty, however, remains an allegation made in the Iranian broadcast and has not been independently confirmed by US authorities.
The development comes amid heightened hostility between Washington and Tehran, nearly six months after the United States and Israel went to war with Iran in February.
Threats against the Trump family have become an increasingly serious security concern.
Reuters reported earlier in August that US officials had received several warnings from Israel over the past year that Iran was allegedly plotting to assassinate Trump.
One of those threats was considered serious enough to trigger an unusual security operation during a trip to Turkey, where Trump was secretly moved using an alternative aircraft arrangement.
Trump himself has publicly acknowledged the threat posed by Iran.
The US President has described himself as “number one on the kill list for Iran.”
The latest Iranian broadcast, however, marks a disturbing expansion of the threats, bringing Trump’s youngest son directly into the confrontation.
