Iranian state media has broadcast a video on assassinating Barron Trump, the 20-year-old youngest child of US President Donald Trump, with reports of a $10 million (£7.3 million) bounty placed on his head. The threat against the president's son is the latest escalation against Trump and his family.
The three-minute video, titled "Where to Kill Barron Trump," claimed to show the movements of the president's youngest child, asserting he is "fully monitored." It was reportedly shared in media linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Video shows NYU dorm and personal accounts
The video shows the dorms at New York University's Constance Milstein & Family Global Academic Center, according to a Euronews translation. It claims that Barron's accounts for Xbox, FIFA video games, and Discord, as well as those of his classmates, have been uncovered.
"This is just the beginning! Barron Trump, wait for us!" the video concluded. In addition to the disturbing video, multiple reports indicated that the regime placed a $10 million bounty on Barron's head.
Secret Service responds
A spokesperson for the US Secret Service reportedly told the New York Post: "The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees." "Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence."
The threat to Trump's son follows a separate video shared by IRGC-linked media from July targeting Trump's wife. The video "Where to Kill Melania?" claimed to know the US first lady's location. Iranian-backed media also pushed out a video titled "Where to Kill Trump?!" similarly claiming to present the routes that his presidential motorcade takes when traveling to and from his residences in Florida and New York.
US-Iran conflict context
The threat to Barron comes on the heels of Trump's latest threat to the country. Trump last week announced what he has called "the most crushing economic operation ever taken" against the Middle Eastern country.
The US and Iran have been in conflict since February 28, when joint US-Israeli forces carried out strikes on several key Iranian sites. Iran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz waterway and striking US allies in the Middle East. Despite several attempts to broker a lasting peace, the US and Iran have failed to come to an agreement on ending the conflict, opening the waterway and Iran's nuclear weapons capabilities.
