Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Iran attempted to kill one of his sons, without providing details on the timing, location or which of his children was targeted.
The allegation was made on Monday during a telephone interview with Channel 14, a conservative Israeli broadcaster, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“This is an unbelievable case. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons,” Netanyahu said.
The claim comes as Netanyahu’s coalition trails in opinion polls ahead of general elections scheduled for October, following a joint United States-Israeli military campaign against Iran. That campaign began with a strike on Tehran that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and four members of his family, including his daughter and a 14-month-old granddaughter.
Netanyahu made the remarks while responding to reports that one of Israel’s security agencies had declined to provide a continuous security detail for Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief and current political rival running closely with Netanyahu. The prime minister expressed support for around-the-clock protection for Eisenkot, describing it as “not a luxury.”
“Without that, [the Iranians] will succeed,” he said.
Israeli authorities granted extended personal protection to Netanyahu’s two sons and his wife in July. His elder son, Yair, 35, has spent prolonged periods in Miami since early 2024, a situation that has drawn public criticism in Israel over the cost of his security.
Iran has vowed retaliation for the killings of Khamenei and his relatives. Khamenei’s son Mojtaba was appointed the new supreme leader a week after his father’s death. In a message released around the funeral ceremonies, Mojtaba pledged to “avenge the blood” of the former leader. He has not appeared in public since his appointment.
No independent confirmation of the alleged plot against Netanyahu’s son has been provided.
