The US secret service says it is aware of an Iranian state television video discussing an alleged plot to assassinate Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, 20.
The three-minute video claims Barron is being monitored and that there’s a $10m bounty for his killing.
“The US 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,” secret service spokesperson Nate Herring said in an email to Reuters.
Trump previously said he was “number one on the kill list for Iran”.
Meanwhile, Iran said the Strait of Hormuz remained closed despite Tehran agreeing on a temporary transit route through the key waterway with Oman.
“The understanding between Iran and Oman does not mean the opening of the Strait of Hormuz,” deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said.
The statement came as Trump threatened to launch new strikes on a nuclear site as well as Iranian military ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US 'will have no place' in region's future, says Iranian official
Iran’s top security official has declared that the United States "will have no place in the region's future."
Major General Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, delivered the remarks during a Tehran meeting with Faiq Zaidan, head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council on Tuesday, according to state-linked news agency, Nournews.
Rezaei also has affirmed support for a "strong and independent Iraq" while calling for a resolution to anti-Iranian armed groups along their border.
Iranian parliamentary speaker scoffs at ‘Economic D-Day’ threats
Parliament speaker, Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf has publicly mocked US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over what he described as “contradictory” statements regarding new sanctions against Iran.
The friction follows Bessent's announcement of "Operation Economic Outcast" — termed an "Economic D-Day" — designed to target Iran’s economy.
However, when pressed on potential global disruption on Monday, Bessent pivoted, asking, "Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?"
Qalibaf has ridiculed the exchange on X, posting: "Sir this ain't Normandy, this is improv night and you forgot your own script."
Tehran maintains that Washington's economic pressure campaign reflects failed military objectives and vows to retaliate against foreign entities assisting the US sanctions push.
Asian stocks rise and oil falls on hopes of Strait of Hormuz reopening
Asian stocks rose on Wednesday as falling oil prices and hopes of an interim deal between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz eased concerns about global inflation and energy supplies.
Brent crude fell more than two per cent to $86.41 a barrel, as markets anticipated the possibility of more oil flowing through the strait, which handled about a fifth of the world’s traded oil before the war.
“While there was no real progress or details of the Iran-Oman deal, as Iran reiterated that Hormuz will remain shut until conditions are met, price action suggested that markets are quickly pricing in optimism around an interim announcement,” analysts at J P Morgan said.
Temporary route agreed with Oman doesn’t mean reopening Hormuz, Iranian deputy foreign minister says
Iran says it has agreed with Oman on establishing a temporary 11km-wide transit route through the Strait of Hormuz, with the entry point and part of the exit route passing through Iranian territorial waters.
However, deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the arrangement “does not mean opening the Strait of Hormuz”.
“We agreed with Oman that the entry route to the Strait of Hormuz will be through our territorial waters, and part of the exit route will also be through our territorial waters,” Gharibabadi said.
He said activating the route would “mean closing the southern route in the strait”, which the US had opened “under pressure from Oman”, arguing that the move violated Article 5 of the two countries’ memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war.
China warns about US sanctions threat disrupting its cooperation with Iran
China has warned that expanded US sanctions targeting entities and individuals linked to Iran, including some based in China, “should not disrupt” or “undermine” its cooperation with Tehran.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China-Iran cooperation has complied with international law.
China is one of Iran’s biggest trading partners and buys most of the country’s oil exports.
The warning came after the US treasury department announced sanctions on nearly 60 Iran-linked entities on Monday, including several in China, although it stopped short of imposing secondary sanctions on countries trading with Iran.
Dozens of Iran-flagged tankers gather off Sri Lankan coast
More than a dozen Iran-flagged tankers have gathered near Sri Lanka’s territorial waters after a US blockade effectively cut off access to Iranian ports.
Ship-tracking data shows about 13 Iranian tankers, alongside vessels linked to Iran’s “shadow fleet”, sheltering off Sri Lanka, with around 20 state-owned Iranian tankers reportedly seeking refuge in the area.
“A flotilla of approximately 20 state-owned Iranian tankers, all empty of cargo, decided to seek shelter in the exclusive economic zone of Sri Lanka,” Samir Madani, co-founder of the maritime intelligence firm TankerTrackers.com, was quoted as saying by FT.
The blockade has severely restricted Iran’s ability to import fuel and generate oil revenue, with the US saying it has redirected 71 merchant vessels, disabled three and boarded two since the blockade began.
Tankers have also accumulated off Pakistan and Malaysia, where vessels linked to Iranian crude transfers to China are loitering, FT reported, citing the US-based campaign group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).
Bessent and Bahrain’s finance minister discuss Iran sanctions
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent spoke about Iran sanctions with Bahrain’s finance minister Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, stressing that “Iran must not be permitted to threaten international commerce or use the Strait of Hormuz as leverage against the global economy”.
He also emphasised “the importance of sustained financial pressure on Iran’s remaining economic lifelines” and said that “the US will hold the regime’s financial enablers accountable”.
In a post on X, the treasury department said: “He also emphasised the importance of sustained financial pressure on Iran’s remaining economic lifelines and underscored that the United States will hold the regime’s financial enablers accountable.
“Secretary Bessent also welcomed Bahrain’s longstanding partnership and its continued commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the international financial system. The two officials agreed on the importance of continued coordination between the United States, Bahrain, GCC partners, and the broader international community to combat illicit finance and strengthen economic security.”
US secret service ‘aware’ of video on Iran TV discussing alleged assassination of Trump’s son
The US Secret Service says it is aware of an Iranian state television video discussing an alleged plot to assassinate Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, 20.
The three-minute video claimed Barron was being monitored and that a $10m bounty had been offered for his killing.
“The US 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,” Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring said in an email to Reuters.
The report comes amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran, with Trump previously saying he was “number one on the kill list for Iran”.
Reuters also reported earlier this month that the US had received several Israeli warnings about alleged Iranian plots to assassinate Trump.
Editorial: America’s might has failed in Iran – an ‘economic D-Day’ is also unlikely to succeed
If the best way to get Iran to bend to America’s will is the imposition of unprecedented financial sanctions – an “economic D-Day” – then the obvious question arises: what was the point, in Trump-speak, of bombing the hell out of them, destroying their antiquated conventional forces and threatening the death of a “whole civilisation”?
Indeed, anyone might wonder why, six months ago, the US joined in Israel’s campaign against its implacable enemy in the first place, given that, before that strategic blunder, the Strait of Hormuz was open to shipping, the supply of oil and natural gas was normal, and the whole world was looking forward to some economic growth for a change.
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US sanctions four India-based companies and three Indians over involvement in Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical trade
The US has sanctioned four India-based companies and three Indian nationals over their alleged involvement in Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical trade.
The targeted firms are accused of importing or facilitating the import of Iranian petroleum products worth tens of millions of dollars, with one company allegedly involved in imports worth about $69m.
The sanctions are part of the US’s wider effort to cut off Iran’s oil revenues, with Washington targeting around 60 Iran-linked individuals, entities and vessels.
The move comes as the US threatens further penalties against countries continuing to trade with Iran, although it has so far stopped short of imposing secondary sanctions on countries themselves.