The US Secret Service has stated that it is aware of a video broadcast on Iranian state media threatening to kill Barron Trump, the youngest son of US President Donald Trump.
A CNN report notes that hardline Iranian media outlets have previously issued death threats against President Trump and members of his family.
These threats intensified following the deaths of several family members of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the onset of the US-Israel conflict in February.
First Lady Melania Trump had also been threatened previously; however, this marks the first time their son, Barron Trump, has been directly targeted in public.
In a statement to CNN regarding the matter, US Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring said, “The Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates all matters that could be considered a threat to our protectees.”
However, he noted that details regarding protective intelligence are not disclosed for reasons of operational security.
The video, which lasts approximately three minutes, begins with a graphic in English asking, “Where will Barron Trump be killed?”
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Through various graphics, the video displays locations Barron Trump is known to frequent, including Trump Tower in New York.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB aired the video over the weekend; the organization is known to have close ties to Iran’s hardline ruling establishment.
A US federal law enforcement official told CNN that the video is part of a series of campaigns originating from Iran targeting Trump and his family members. Some of these videos have included information on the movements of Trump’s family members and suggestions on how to assassinate them.
The official stated that security operations for the President are constantly adjusted and coordinated based on intelligence gathered from the Secret Service, other US agencies, police forces, and various countries.
