The US Secret Service has confirmed it is investigating a video aired by Iranian state media that appears to threaten the life of Barron Trump, the youngest son of President Donald Trump. The agency's spokesman, Nate Herring, said on Tuesday that it is aware of the footage and investigates anything that could be perceived as a threat to its protectees. He declined to discuss operational security matters.
The video, broadcast on Channel 3 of Iranian state television and attributed to media affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was titled "Where and how should we kill Barron Trump?" It claims to show the location of his university, his escort vehicles, and the positioning of his Secret Service detail, alleging his movements have been "fully monitored." The broadcast also claims a $10 million (€8.5 million) bounty has been placed on him.
The footage further alleges that a woman managed to bypass Secret Service protection, sat with the 20-year-old in a private meeting, and passed information to the programme's makers. Euronews could not independently verify these claims at the time of publication.
Escalating Iranian media threats
This is not the first such broadcast. In July, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency released a similar video titled "Where and how is Melania Trump accessible?", detailing the First Lady's movements in New York and alleging vulnerabilities in her security. In late May, the New York Post reported on an alleged plot targeting Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter.
The latest video comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. Since the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on 28 February, Iranian state media have repeatedly published material threatening Trump and his family. The US president has also escalated his rhetoric against Iran over protest executions, further straining relations.
Secret Service under pressure
The Secret Service has faced sustained scrutiny as Trump has been the target of at least three assassination plots since taking office. The most public incident occurred in April, when an armed man breached security at the Washington Hilton hotel during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, which Trump was attending.
The agency has also been criticised over Trump's departure from the recent NATO summit in Turkey. Media reports revealed that Trump was moved from Air Force One to a separate aircraft without public disclosure, as the Secret Service and the US military believed he could be the target of an Iranian assassination attempt. Trump only confirmed the elaborate ruse after reports emerged that some staff, Secret Service agents, and journalists flew on the older model Air Force One while he was smuggled onto an alternate military aircraft to leave Turkey.
In a separate development, the Secret Service confirmed on Tuesday that three non-law-enforcement officials have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into potential misconduct by the agency's Office of Professional Responsibility. US media reported that one of the three is Anthony Guglielmi, the agency's communications director, along with two other officials in media-related positions. The suspensions are reportedly connected to a criminal investigation into classified information leaked to the media. The Secret Service did not confirm these reports, and the official reason for the suspensions has not been disclosed.
Last month, the Secret Service confirmed that an agent on Vice President JD Vance's security detail was under investigation over the alleged disclosure of sensitive information.
The latest threats against Barron Trump highlight the persistent security challenges facing the agency, which is tasked with protecting the first family amid a volatile geopolitical climate. The investigation into the video is ongoing, and the Secret Service has not commented on the specific claims made in the broadcast.
