Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son was the target of an Iranian assassination plot in Florida, it has been reported.
US News outlet Newsmax cited a US law enforcement source, which stated that Iranian agents were “on the ground” and were conducting surveillance of Yair, 35, who lived in the US full-time but retained an Israeli security detail.
The report says that Yair, the Israeli premier’s middle child, was told to leave immediately as the threat became apparent and head back to Israel, which he did, reportedly without packing any belongings.
He is believed to have been staying in Israel since.
Earlier in the week, Benjamin Netanyahu told Channel 14: “Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to kill, to murder one of my sons.”
He did not state which of his two sons had been targeted, but it now appears he was referring to Yair.
The comment came as Netanyahu defended a July extension to his protection order from Shin Bet, which provides security for him and his family.
With the upcoming Knesset elections in October, the extension is expected to last for five years, even if Netanyahu is voted out of office.
Netanyahu cited the threat to Yair as evidence of the need for continuing security, saying: “This is why this security protection is not a luxury - without it, they [Iran] could succeed.”
Israel's Channel 12 reported that the assassination plot had been known by some media for months, with publication previously barred by military censorship.
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