Iranian assassination plot against Netanyahu’s son Yair foiled in Florida: Report

Iranian operatives reportedly conducted surveillance on PM Netanyahu’s son Yair in Florida as part of an assassination plot, prompting him to flee back to Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s eldest son, Yair Netanyahu, was the target of an alleged Iranian assassination plot while he was living in South Florida, according to a Newsmax report.The report cited a US law-enforcement source familiar with the matter, and is an added development to Netanyahu’s disclosure that Iran had tried to kill one of his sons.Netanyahu said Monday that Iran had targeted one of his two sons but did not identify him at the time. “Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons,” Netanyahu said during a phone interview with Israel’s Channel 14.According to the Newsmax report, the target was 35-year-old Yair, who had been living in the Miami area. The report said Israeli intelligence learned in December 2025 of an alleged Iranian plot against him and alerted US authorities.A US law-enforcement source cited by Newsmax said Israeli intelligence believed Iranian operatives were already in the Miami area and had conducted surveillance of Yair’s residence and movements. Yair, who travels with an Israeli security detail, was then instructed to leave Florida immediately, according to the report.He reportedly returned to Israel without taking his belongings and has remained there since. The Times of Israel separately reported the Newsmax account on Wednesday.The report helps explain Netanyahu’s comments about the security provided to his family. In his Channel 14 interview, he defended the need for protection for his wife, Sara, and sons Yair and Avner, saying such security was necessary because threats against his family could otherwise succeed.

Wider Iranian targeting

The alleged plot against Yair comes as Iranian threats against senior Israeli and US figures and their families have intensified. Netanyahu’s comments came shortly after Iranian state television aired a video targeting US President Donald Trump’s 20-year-old son, Barron Trump.The roughly three-minute broadcast, aired by Iranian state television and circulated by media linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, discussed a potential plot to kill Barron and claimed that his movements were being monitored. It also alleged that a $10 million bounty had been offered for his killing, although that claim has not been independently verified.The US Secret Service said Tuesday that it was aware of the video and was investigating it as a potential threat to a protected person.The Barron video followed an earlier Iran-linked video targeting first lady Melania Trump and comes against the backdrop of longstanding Iranian threats against Trump himself.US authorities have previously accused members or alleged assets of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of pursuing assassination plots against American officials, including former national security adviser John Bolton.The reported targeting of Yair also comes as Israel has extended security arrangements for Netanyahu’s immediate family. In July, Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs approved extended personal protection for Sara Netanyahu and both sons, Yair and Avner.

Netanyahu has also asked Shin Bet chief David Zini to ensure appropriate protection for prime ministerial candidates, framing the issue as particularly sensitive during Israel’s election campaign.