Overview

• The 34-minute video titled “Inciting the Believers” was released on June 8 by Sa’ad bin Atef al-Awlaki, who has led AQAP since March 2024.
• The video identifies President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Elon Musk as intended targets.
• Al-Awlaki portrays his threats as retribution for US support of Israel in the Gaza conflict and calls for violence against Jewish communities.
• US intelligence agencies are evaluating the credibility of the threats as the State Department maintains a $6 million bounty on al-Awlaki.
• AQAP, designated a foreign terrorist organization, operates from Yemen and has faced US drone strikes in ongoing counterterror efforts.