Shin Bet confirms significant threat to Yair Netanyahu, leading to emergency evacuation from the US

The Shin Bet published a response on Saturday regarding reports that Yair Netanyahu, the eldest son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was the target of an Iranian assassination attempt while staying in South Florida.

"There was indeed a significant threat to harm Yair Netanyahu, and in light of this, and following a situation assessment, a decision was made to evacuate him along with the security team urgently back to Israel," the agency stated.

The report was initially published by the news outlet Newsmax. Last week, Benjamin Netanyahu revealed in an interview with Channel 14 that Iran had attempted to assassinate one of his sons, though he declined to specify whether the target was Yair or Avner.

"There is something here that is inconceivable," Netanyahu said. "Iran has targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him."

According to an American source who spoke with Newsmax, the target was 35-year-old Yair Netanyahu, who was living in Hallandale Beach, near Miami, at the time. Israeli intelligence reportedly uncovered the Iranian plot last December and passed a warning to United States authorities.

Sources indicate that Iranian operatives were already on the ground in the Miami area, conducting surveillance on Yair's residence and movements. Yair, who is accompanied by Israeli security at all times, was instructed to leave immediately. Reports state he departed without his belongings and returned directly to Israel, where he currently resides.

Channel 12 reported that the assassination attempt had been known to some media outlets for months, but its publication was prohibited until now by the military censor. Netanyahu has two sons, Yair and Avner. While Avner lives in Israel, Yair has spent long periods in the Miami area, becoming a prominent conservative political commentator and public defender of his father.