Iran plotted to assassinate Netanyahu’s son in Florida

Iran allegedly plotted to assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s eldest son, Yair, while he was living in South Florida, Newsmax reported on Wednesday, citing a US law enforcement source familiar with the matter.

Israeli intelligence learned of the alleged plot in December and alerted US authorities, according to the source. Iranian operatives were believed to be in the Miami area and to have conducted surveillance of Yair Netanyahu’s home and movements.

The 35-year-old, who lived in Hallandale Beach and was accompanied by an Israeli security detail, was reportedly instructed to leave immediately. He departed without collecting his belongings and returned to Israel, where he now lives.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that some news organizations had known about the alleged plot for months but were prevented from publishing details by Israeli military censorship.

Benjamin Netanyahu first disclosed the alleged assassination attempt during an interview with Israel’s Channel 14 on Monday but did not identify which of his two sons had been targeted.

“There is something here that is unbelievable. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons,” Netanyahu said while defending government-funded security for his family.

In July, Israel extended Shin Bet protection for Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, and his sons, Yair and Avner. The two sons are expected to retain protection for five years after Netanyahu leaves office, Newsmax reported.

The alleged plot emerged amid longstanding US accusations that Iran has pursued assassination operations abroad in retaliation for the US killing of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.

US prosecutors charged an alleged Iranian asset, Farhad Shakeri, in 2024 over what they described as an IRGC-directed plan to assassinate Donald Trump.

In 2022, the Justice Department charged IRGC member Shahram Poursafi with offering $300,000 to arrange the killing of former US national security adviser John Bolton.

Iranian state television also recently broadcast a video threatening Trump’s son Barron and claiming that his movements and security arrangements had been monitored.

The US Secret Service said it was aware of the broadcast and investigated threats against those under its protection.

Source: iranintl.com, Staff, August 26, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde

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