Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, August 24, that Iran had tried to kill one of his sons, but gave no details on when the alleged attempt took place, which son was targeted, or how close it came to succeeding, Reuters reported.
Reuters said the claim highlights escalating tensions since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran in February, during which Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials were killed.
Interview on Channel 14
According to the report, Netanyahu, whose coalition is trailing in opinion polls two months ahead of general elections on October 27, made the claim in a phone interview with Israel's Channel 14.
He was responding to reports that one of Israel's security services had refused to provide protection to a political rival ahead of the nationwide vote.
Netanyahu said that regarding his sons, there was something quite incredible, in that Iran had targeted one of his sons and had tried to kill him, which is why such protection is not a luxury.
Reuters said Netanyahu gave no further details about the alleged plot or how close Iran came to carrying it out, and it remains unclear which of his sons he was referring to. His elder son, Yair Netanyahu, reportedly lives in Miami.
Security for rival candidate
Netanyahu also said he had told Shin Bet chief David Zini that proper protection needed to be provided to any candidate for prime minister.
Israeli media had earlier reported that Zini refused to provide security protection to Gadi Eisenkot and told the country's election commission that there was no assassination plot against him.
Threats against Trump
UNIAN had previously reported that Israel shared intelligence with the United States revealing a new Iranian plan to assassinate President Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Trump hinted at threats to his life and confirmed that there were efforts to remove him. Iran has for years openly stated its intent to avenge the killing of Qassem Soleimani, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. At Khamenei's funeral, mourners chanted slogans calling for Trump's death and unfurled a banner reading "We will kill Trump."
Separately, Iraq announced a reward for Trump's assassination. The pro-Iranian Iraqi armed group Islamic Resistance in Iraq reportedly offered $10 million to any person, organization or institution that carries out an attack on the American leader. The group described the offer as revenge for the 2020 killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of an Iraqi militia, both killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad.
