Netanyahu Alleges Iranian Plot Against Son

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran attempted to assassinate one of his sons, but he did not identify which son was allegedly targeted or provide details about the plot. During an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, Netanyahu said he had asked Israeli law enforcement to strengthen security measures for prime-ministerial candidates, arguing that additional protection was necessary to prevent Iran from succeeding. He also urged restraint during the election campaign. The report says Israel’s Shin Bet security agency began providing extended protection to Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, and their sons, Yair and Avner, in July. Netanyahu did not explain how Israeli intelligence detected the alleged assassination attempt, and the article does not present independent evidence confirming the accusation. The claim comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran and negotiations over a possible Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanon. Israel has been fighting Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist organization, and has publicized large quantities of weapons allegedly confiscated from Hezbollah and Hamas. The reported arsenal included rockets, grenades, drones, sniper rifles, automatic weapons, anti-tank launchers, mortars and other equipment manufactured in Iran, Russia, China, Lebanon and Gaza. The article places the alleged plot within the broader regional conflict that followed Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. It describes Hezbollah and Hamas as Iranian proxies and states that reports attribute the deaths of more than 300 American citizens to the two groups. The report concludes by noting that Israel fought a multi-front war against Iran and its allied groups and that Iranian rocket remnants were displayed outside a weapons storage facility at Tzrifin.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran had attempted to assassinate one of his two sons, but he did not identify which son or provide evidence or further details. He made the claim during a phone interview with Israel’s Channel 14 while discussing security arrangements ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. Netanyahu’s remarks arose in the context of reports that Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency had declined to provide round-the-clock protection for Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief and Netanyahu’s principal electoral rival. Netanyahu supported providing Eisenkot with continuous security, describing it as necessary rather than a luxury and warning that insufficient protection could allow Iran to succeed. Netanyahu has two sons and a daughter. His elder son, Yair Netanyahu, 35, has spent extended periods in Miami since early 2024 and has reportedly received Shin Bet protection. His presence in the United States has generated controversy in Israel because of the cost to taxpayers and concerns among some South Florida residents that he could make the area a target for attacks by Israel’s enemies. Israeli journalist Amit Segal later said on Telegram that the alleged assassination attempt had been known for months but was covered by a gag order. The article provides no independent confirmation of the claim. The report also places Netanyahu’s statement within the broader conflict between Israel and Iran. It says that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed, along with members of his family, during U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28. His son Mojtaba was subsequently named supreme leader and reportedly wounded in the strikes. Mojtaba later pledged to avenge his father’s death, but has not appeared publicly since his appointment.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of attempting to assassinate one of his sons, though he did not identify which son was allegedly targeted or provide details about the plot. Speaking to Israel’s Channel 14, Netanyahu said the alleged threat was serious enough that he had asked Israeli law enforcement to strengthen protection for prime ministerial candidates. He also urged restraint during the election campaign, warning that without increased security measures, Iranian operatives could potentially succeed in killing his son. The report says Netanyahu did not explain how Israeli intelligence discovered the alleged plot, and the claim was not independently substantiated in the article. The report notes that Israel’s Shin Bet security agency extended protection for Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, and their sons, Yair and Avner, beginning in July. The accusation comes amid negotiations over a possible Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant organization. It also follows Israel’s public disclosure of a large cache of weapons seized from Hezbollah and Hamas, including rockets, grenades, drones, sniper rifles, automatic weapons, mortars and anti-tank launchers. According to the article, the weapons came from Iran, Russia, China, Lebanon and Gaza, among other sources, and were used by Hamas and Hezbollah during the conflict that began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The article further states that Hezbollah and Hamas, described as Iranian proxies, have killed more than 300 American citizens. It concludes by noting that Israel fought a multifront war against Iran and its allied groups, while Iranian rocket remnants were displayed near a weapons storage facility at Tzrifin.