Netanyahu says Iran tried to assassinate one of his sons
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Monday that Iran had attempted to assassinate one of his two sons, making the explosive allegation during a television interview just days before a critical national election. He offered no evidence and shared almost no details.
What Netanyahu said
Speaking on Channel 14, Netanyahu dropped the claim almost in passing while discussing his personal security arrangements. “Iran tried to kill one of my sons,” he said, without naming which son — Yair or Avner — or specifying when the alleged plot took place. The comment came during a broader conversation about threats against his family ahead of the October 27 vote. That’s it. No follow-up, no briefing, no supporting documentation made public.
Netanyahu has two sons. Yair, 33, is the more publicly visible of the two and has lived abroad for stretches of time, including in Miami. Avner, 27, maintains a much lower profile. Neither son has commented publicly on the claim.
No details from Israeli officials
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office didn’t release any additional statement following the interview. Israeli security officials and the Shin Bet internal security service declined to comment on the matter. That silence isn’t unusual when it comes to operational details, but it left a significant information vacuum around a claim of this magnitude.
A senior Israeli security analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the timing of the disclosure was striking. “If this were a confirmed, recent plot, you’d expect a formal statement, a diplomatic response, something,” the analyst said. “The way it came out raises questions.”
Iran has denied similar accusations before
Iran has a long and documented record of allegedly plotting against Israeli and Jewish targets abroad. The U.S. Department of Justice has unsealed multiple indictments in recent years detailing Iranian-linked assassination plots against American and Israeli officials, including one targeting former National Security Advisor John Bolton in 2022. Tehran has consistently denied involvement in such operations.
But this particular claim — targeting the son of a sitting prime minister — would represent a significant escalation, if true.
Still, without corroboration, analysts and journalists are left with only Netanyahu’s word. And that word came during a campaign interview, four days before an election in which Netanyahu’s Likud party is fighting to consolidate its position in the Knesset.
What comes next
The allegation will almost certainly intensify pressure on Netanyahu to provide specifics. Opposition politicians have already begun questioning whether the claim was timed for political effect, pointing to the proximity of the October 27 vote. Some are calling for an intelligence committee briefing.
Iran and Israel have been locked in an escalating shadow war for years, with drone strikes, naval incidents, and covert operations piling up on both sides. A credible assassination attempt against a prime minister’s family member would demand a formal government response — and so far, there hasn’t been one.
Whether Netanyahu releases more details in the coming days, or whether this claim fades without follow-up, will say a great deal about what actually happened.
