Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei has dismissed reports of an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate US President Donald Trump’s son Barron Trump, calling the claims fabricated and accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using them to influence Trump.
Speaking to Lebanon’s Al Manar TV, Rezaei alleged that Netanyahu had spread false information to frighten the US president and affect his decisions.
"Netanyahu has panicked Trump and disrupted his decision-making by spreading false news about an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump. Fearing this news, Trump moved around like a food truck worker."
"These are major lies that Netanyahu managed to trick Trump with," he said in the interview cited by Iranian news agency IRIB on X.
Iranian TV airs Barron Trump assassination claim
The remarks came after Iranian state television aired a three-minute report discussing an alleged plan targeting Barron Trump, 20. The broadcast claimed he was being monitored and alleged that a $10 million bounty had been offered for his killing.
Rezaei, Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, rejected the allegations, describing them as "lies that Netanyahu fabricates". He also said that if Iran ever decided to carry out an assassination, "nothing would prevent" it from doing so.
Rezaei further threatened to "send Netanyahu to hell" and said the Israeli prime minister’s actions had brought the "end of the Zionist regime's existence near".
"We will send Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the Zionist regime, to hell," Rezaei said, according to IRIB.
US Secret Service aware of broadcast
The US Secret Service said on Tuesday that it was aware of the Iranian state television broadcast concerning the alleged plot against Barron Trump.
Reuters had earlier reported that the US received multiple warnings from Israel over the past year about alleged Iranian plans to assassinate Trump. The warnings reportedly came even before an incident involving a secret Air Force One ruse in Turkey.
Rezaei links claims to Turkey incident
Trump had switched from Air Force One to a smaller military aircraft while returning from the NATO summit in Ankara in July.
Rezaei referred to the incident while accusing Netanyahu of alarming Trump.
"Trump was scared" after "Netanyahu told him Iran was planning to assassinate him".
“He came to Turkey on that huge plane, and Netanyahu told him that the Iranians are working to assassinate you, so they put him in a food truck and smuggled him like workers," Iran's security chief said.
Trump has previously described himself as "number one on the kill list for Iran".