Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on August 24 that Iran tried to assassinate one of his sons, though he did not specify which son or detail the alleged plot. He made the allegation during a phone interview with Israel Channel 14, a broadcaster known for its favorable coverage of the government [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Netanyahu said, "This is an unbelievable case. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons." He added, "Iran tried to murder one of my sons, and therefore this security protection is not a luxury" and warned, "Without that, [the Iranians] will succeed" [1, 4, 5].

His elder son, Yair Netanyahu, 35, has lived in Miami under Israeli security protection since early 2024. That arrangement has sparked controversy over the cost to Israeli taxpayers and local security concerns in Florida [1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 5]. Netanyahu also voiced support for 24/7 protection for his political rival, former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, after reports that Israel's internal security service Shin Bet initially declined to provide it [1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 5].

The allegation comes amid heightened tensions since a joint US-Israel military strike on February 28, 2026, killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and family members [4, 7, 8]. Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded him and vowed revenge [4, 7, 8].

Separately on August 25, the US Secret Service confirmed it is aware of an Iranian state television video that threatened Barron Trump, the 20-year-old son of former US President Donald Trump, including a reported $10 million bounty for his assassination. The video showed locations frequented by Barron Trump and asked, "Where to kill Barron Trump?!", part of an ongoing hostile campaign linked to the US-Israel war on Iran starting February 2026 [9, 10, 11, 12].

Spokesperson Nate Herring said, "The US Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees. Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence." [9]

Israel is scheduled for a general election on October 27, 2026, less than two months from Netanyahu's public claim against Iran [1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8].