Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Iran attempted to assassinate one of his sons, but did not provide details about when the alleged plot occurred, which son was targeted or how close the attempt came to being carried out.
The allegation comes amid heightened tensions following the US-Israeli war with Iran, which began in February and resulted in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other senior Iranian leaders.
Netanyahu made the claim during a telephone interview with Israel’s Channel 14, while responding to reports that one of the country’s security agencies had declined to provide protection for a political rival ahead of the October 27 general election.
“Here, I think there is something quite unbelievable, yes. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to kill, to murder one of my sons,” Netanyahu said during the interview.
He argued that the alleged threat demonstrated why security protection should not be considered a luxury, although he did not reveal further information about the suspected plot.
It remains unclear which of Netanyahu’s sons he was referring to. His elder son, Yair Netanyahu, currently lives in Miami.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York had not immediately responded to a request for comment regarding the Israeli leader’s accusation.
Netanyahu also said he had instructed Shin Bet security agency chief David Zini to ensure appropriate protection was provided to all candidates for prime minister.
The remarks came after Israeli media reported that Zini had declined to provide security for Gadi Eisenkot and informed the country’s election authority that there was no known plot to target him.
Eisenkot’s party is currently projected to win the largest number of seats in the upcoming election. However, Israeli governments are typically formed through coalitions between several parties, meaning the party securing the most seats does not necessarily govern alone.
