The U.S. Secret Service has confirmed that it is investigating a video broadcast by Iranian state media that appears to threaten the life of Barron Trump, the youngest son of President Donald Trump.
“The United States Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that could be perceived as a threat to protected persons,” Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring said in a statement Tuesday.
Herring added that the agency does not discuss protective intelligence matters because of operational security concerns.
Earlier this week, Iranian state television aired a video purporting to track Barron Trump’s movements and claiming that a $10 million bounty had been placed on him.
The video, published by media outlets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and broadcast on state television’s Channel 3, carried the title: “Where and How Should We Kill Barron Trump?”
It claimed to identify the location of the university attended by the 20-year-old Barron Trump, his security vehicles and the positioning of his Secret Service protection detail. The program alleged that his movements had been “fully monitored.”
The broadcast further claimed that a woman had found a way through the Secret Service’s security measures, met Barron Trump privately and passed information to the program’s producers.
The video followed a similar broadcast by Tasnim, an Iranian news agency linked to the IRGC, in July titled “Where and How Is Melania Trump Accessible?” That program reportedly detailed the first lady’s movements in New York and alleged weaknesses in her security arrangements.
The latest threat comes amid a broader pattern of Iranian state-linked media publishing threatening material targeting Trump and members of his family.
Secret Service under increased scrutiny
The investigation also comes as the Secret Service faces heightened scrutiny over security arrangements surrounding the president and other senior U.S. officials.
On Tuesday, the agency confirmed that three non-law-enforcement officials had been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into possible misconduct by its Office of Professional Responsibility.
U.S. media reported that one of the officials was Anthony Guglielmi, the agency’s communications director, along with two other officials working in media-related positions. The reports linked the suspensions to a criminal investigation involving the alleged disclosure of classified information.
The Secret Service did not confirm those reports, and the official reason for the suspensions had not been publicly disclosed.
The agency has faced sustained scrutiny since Trump became a target of multiple alleged assassination plots.
One of the most public incidents occurred in April, when an armed man breached security at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner attended by Trump.
The agency has also faced questions over security arrangements surrounding Trump’s departure from the NATO summit in Turkey. Media reports said Trump was moved from Air Force One to a separate aircraft in a covert security operation after U.S. officials reportedly believed he could be targeted by an Iranian assassination attempt.
Trump later confirmed the unusual departure after details of the operation appeared in the media.
Last month, the Secret Service also confirmed that an agent assigned to Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail was under investigation over the alleged disclosure of sensitive information.
That investigation followed a July NBC News Now report about tensions among some agents over last-minute travel requests made by Vance and his family. The agency described the matter as an administrative investigation with the possibility of a criminal inquiry.
The investigation into the Iranian video will determine whether the broadcast represents a credible threat or an attempt by Iranian state-linked media to intimidate and provoke the U.S. government. For the Secret Service, however, the content is being treated seriously enough to warrant a formal assessment.
