He was responding to reports that one of Israel’s security agencies had declined to provide protective detail to a political rival ahead of the vote.

The remarks came amid a wider security row in Israel, with Netanyahu arguing that the threat from Iran justified extending protection to candidates for prime minister ahead of the country’s election. His comments followed reports that Shin Bet Director David Zini had declined to authorise protection for Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief and Netanyahu’s political rival.

What did Netanyahu say about the alleged Iran plot?

Netanyahu said Iran had attempted to assassinate one of his sons but offered no further details.

He also said he had instructed Zini to ensure that appropriate security arrangements were made available to anyone running for prime minister. The Israeli leader argued that the alleged threat demonstrated why political candidates required protection.

Netanyahu has two sons, Yair and Avner. His elder son, Yair, has spent extended periods in Miami. It is not clear from Netanyahu’s remarks whether he was referring to Yair or Avner. Reuters reported that Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegation.

Why did Netanyahu raise the issue of security for election candidates?

The claim came against the backdrop of a dispute over security for Netanyahu’s political rivals.

Israeli media had reported that Zini refused to approve protection for Eisenkot, telling the country’s election authority that there was no credible plot against him. Eisenkot’s party is currently projected to emerge as the largest bloc in the upcoming election, although Israel’s parliamentary system means the largest party does not automatically form the government.

Netanyahu’s intervention therefore had a political as well as a security dimension: he was arguing that the threat posed by Iran was serious enough to warrant protection for all candidates for prime minister.

What happened with Barron Trump?

The Netanyahu allegation came as Iranian state television faced scrutiny over a separate threat against Barron Trump, Trump’s 20-year-old youngest son.

A roughly three-minute video aired by Iranian state television was titled “Where to kill Barron Trump?” and purported to show locations associated with him, including his university, vehicles used by his security detail and other purported information about his movements. The broadcast also alleged that a $10 million bounty had been placed on him. The bounty claim has not been independently verified.

The US Secret Service has confirmed that it is aware of the video. Spokesperson Nate Herring said the agency investigates anything that could be perceived as a threat to its protectees, while declining to discuss protective intelligence for operational-security reasons.

The footage was reportedly produced by media affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and broadcast on Channel 3 of Iranian state television. Much of the material presented in the video could not be independently verified.