Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran "tried to kill" one of his two sons, without giving details about when the alleged plot took place, which son was targeted or how close it was to being executed, Agence France-Presse and Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The agency notes that the Israeli prime minister did not give further details on the case.
"Something incredible has just happened: Iran has targeted one of my sons. "Iran tried to kill one of my sons," Netanyahu said in a telephone interview with Israel's Channel 14 television.
Netanyahu's claim underscores heightened tensions since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials.
Netanyahu, whose coalition is trailing in opinion polls two months before the Oct. 27 general election, made the claim in a telephone interview with Israel's Channel 14, a conservative media outlet known for its favorable coverage of the government. He was responding to media reports that one of Israel's security services had refused to provide security for a political rival ahead of the national vote.
"Iran tried to kill one of my sons, so this security is not a luxury," he stressed, without providing further details about the alleged plot or how close it was to being carried out.
It is not clear which of his sons the Israeli prime minister was referring to. His older son, Yair, lives in Miami.
There was no immediate comment from Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York.
Netanyahu also said he had told the head of the Shin Bet security service David Zini that any candidate for prime minister should be provided with adequate security.
Israeli media reported earlier that Zini had refused to provide security for Gadi Eisenkot and told the country's election commission that there was no plot to assassinate him.
Eisenkot's party is expected to win the most seats in the election, although Israeli governments are usually formed through coalitions between several parties, rather than through one party winning a majority in parliament.