Iran Targeted Netanyahu’s Son? What We Know About The Alleged Plot

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Iran tried to kill one of his sons, but has not provided details about when or where the alleged plot took place or which son was targeted.

The allegation comes as Netanyahu’s coalition trails in opinion polls ahead of Israel’s October general election and follows the US-Israeli war with Iran. The conflict began with a joint US-Israeli strike on Tehran that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and four members of his family, including his daughter Boshra and his 14-month-old granddaughter Zahra.

According to Al Jazeera, Netanyahu made the claim during a phone interview with Channel 14, a conservative Israeli outlet known for favourable coverage of his government. He was responding to reports that one of Israel’s security agencies had declined to provide him with a security detail for Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief who is running neck and neck with Netanyahu to become the next prime minister.

“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.

Netanyahu said he supported providing Eisenkot with round-the-clock protection, describing it as “not a luxury”.

“Without that, [the Iranians] will succeed,” he said.

Al Jazeera reported that Netanyahu has two sons and a daughter. Both his sons and his wife were granted extended personal protection by Israeli authorities in July, according to The Jerusalem Post.

His elder son, Yair, 35, has spent extended periods in Miami in the United States since early 2024. His time there has drawn criticism in Israel over the cost to taxpayers of protecting him.

Meanwhile, Iran has vowed to retaliate for the killings of Khamenei and his family.

According to Al Jazeera, Khamenei’s son Mojtaba was named Iran’s new supreme leader a week after his father was killed.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since his appointment. In a message published during funeral ceremonies for his father, however, he pledged to “avenge the blood” of the former supreme leader.