Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on August 9 claimed that Iran once attempted to assassinate one of his sons, though he did not provide details on the timing, location, or which of his sons was targeted. The statement comes as his coalition trails in opinion polls ahead of general elections in October, following the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
The war began with a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike on Tehran, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and four of his family members, including his daughter Boshra and 14-month-old granddaughter Zahra.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu made the accusation during a phone interview with Channel 14, a conservative Israeli television station sympathetic to his government. He said: “This is an unbelievable incident. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to kill him, tried to kill one of my sons.”
His remarks came in response to reports that an Israeli security agency had declined to provide bodyguards for Gadi Eisenkot, the former army chief of staff who is running close to Netanyahu for the next prime minister position. Netanyahu voiced support for 24/7 protection for Eisenkot, calling it “not a luxury.” He said: “Without that, Iran will succeed.”
Netanyahu has two sons and one daughter. Both sons and his wife have been granted expanded special security protection by the Israeli government since July, according to The Jerusalem Post. His eldest son, Yair, 35, has spent much of his time in Miami, U.S., since early 2024, causing controversy in Israel over the costly security expenses borne by taxpayers.
Meanwhile, Iran has vowed revenge for the deaths of Khamenei and his family. Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, was appointed the new Supreme Leader a week after his father's death. Mojtaba has not appeared publicly since taking office, but in a message released at his father's funeral, he vowed to “avenge the blood” of the late Supreme Leader.
