Iran’s state broadcaster aired a video over the weekend that appeared to directly threaten Barron Trump, the 20-year-old son of President Donald Trump, prompting a response from the U.S. Secret Service. The broadcast, which ran on IRIB, began with the English-language phrase, “Where to kill Barron Trump?” and included graphics showing places where he is publicly known to spend time, including Trump Tower in New York.
The video also included narration referencing a $10 million reward. Barron Trump is a student at New York University’s Stern School of Business and is the only child of Donald and Melania Trump. CNN reported that this was the first time Barron had been publicly singled out in this way, although threats against Melania Trump had previously been reported.
The Secret Service said it was aware of the video and investigates anything that could be seen as a threat to those it protects. The episode comes amid repeated anti-Trump messaging from Iranian hard-line media since the outbreak of the Iran war earlier this year, including threats directed at members of the first family.
Unlike attacks from loosely affiliated hard-line outlets, this video was produced by Iran’s state broadcaster and aired on an official channel. That gives the threat added weight and has drawn wider attention in the United States.
