Netanyahu claims Iran attempted to assassinate one of his sons
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran tried to assassinate one of his sons, offering no further details. The claim emerged during discussion of security arrangements for his election rival Gadi Eisenkot.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, during a phone interview with Israel's Channel 14, that Iran had attempted to assassinate one of his two sons. He described it as something incredible, confirming that Iran had specifically targeted one of his children, but gave no further details about the timing or circumstances of the alleged attempt.
The remark came up while discussing reports that Israel's domestic security agency, Shin Bet, had declined to provide a security detail for Gadi Eisenkot, the former army chief currently running neck and neck with Netanyahu ahead of elections scheduled for October 27. Netanyahu voiced support for giving Eisenkot round-the-clock protection, calling it not a luxury and warning that without it, Iran could succeed in its aims.
It remains unclear which of Netanyahu's sons was allegedly targeted. His elder son, Yair, 35, has spent extended periods in Miami since early 2024, reportedly under Shin Bet protection. His stay in the United States has drawn controversy in Israel over the cost to taxpayers of providing that security, while some residents of south Florida have expressed concern that his presence could turn the area into a target for attacks by Israel's enemies.
Shortly after Netanyahu's comments became public, prominent Israeli journalist Amit Segal wrote on his Telegram channel that the alleged assassination attempt had reportedly been known for months but had been subject to a gag order preventing its publication.
The report follows Israel's killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in February, in the opening strikes of a US-Israeli campaign, along with several of his family members. A week later, his son Mojtaba was named the new supreme leader. In a statement read on state television, Mojtaba said he had also lost his wife, his sister, her child and his brother-in-law in the strikes. He has not appeared in public since his appointment and was reportedly wounded in the same attacks that killed his father.