WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Iranian State Media Claims Netanyahu Killed or Wounded Four Day Silence Fuels Global Speculation
JERUSALEM/TEHRAN A bombshell report from Iran's Tasnim News Agency has sent shockwaves through global media with unverified claims that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have been killed or seriously wounded in recent retaliatory strikes, as the Israeli leader remains out of public view for a fourth day.
The IRGC linked outlet's extraordinary assertion citing "circumstantial evidence" including Netanyahu's unprecedented public absence, canceled video messages, and the unexplained cancellation of a top level US envoy visit has plunged the already volatile Middle East conflict into a fog of wartime rumor and counter rumor.
Israeli officials have maintained complete silence, neither confirming nor denying the claims, as security around the Prime Minister's residence has been visibly tightened.
The Four Day Gap
According to Tasnim's report, Netanyahu has not appeared in public for nearly four days a striking departure from his usual practice of releasing daily video messages. Statements attributed to him during this period have been issued only in written form, with no video or photographic confirmation.
The news agency also alleged that Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Netanyahu's brother, Iddo, may also have been killed, though all claims remain completely unverified.
The Evidence Presented
Tasnim has assembled a series of circumstantial points to support its speculation:
No video footage of Netanyahu for several days, with his last known video appearance on March 7. Tightened security around Netanyahu's residence, reported in Hebrew language media. Canceled US visit envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner abruptly called off a planned trip to Israel for high level talks on the Iran conflict, with no explanation from either government. French readout ambiguity the Élysée Palace's statement about a phone call between President Emmanuel Macron and Netanyahu did not specify the date of the conversation.
The report also leaned on a secondhand claim attributed to former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter, cited through Russian media, alleging that Iran had bombed Netanyahu's hideout. Tasnim itself noted that the speculation had not been officially confirmed or denied.
Information Warfare or Revelation
The Jerusalem Post has pushed back forcefully against the claims, describing Tasnim's piece as "pro Iranian information warfare, with real fragments of public information stitched together into a dramatic narrative, then circulated as if they point to a hidden event."
Publicly available information appears to undercut the central premise of the rumor. Netanyahu delivered an official statement published by the Prime Minister's Office on March 7, and the Israeli government's main portal listed him as having visited an impact site in Beersheba on March 6. Independent reports in recent days have likewise referred to his public activity, including a phone call with Macron that was reported by the Élysée and covered by The Jerusalem Post on March 5.
Counter Evidence Netanyahu's Recent Statements
On March 7, Netanyahu issued a filmed statement broadcast on Saturday evening, warning Iran that "the moment of truth is approaching." In that address, he told members of the Revolutionary Guard: "You are also targeted. Anyone who drops the weapon will not be harmed. Anyone who does not do so will be held responsible for whatever happens to them."
Addressing the Iranian people, Netanyahu said Israel "is not trying to divide Iran we are trying to liberate it."
More significantly, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued a statement on March 10 the same day Tasnim's report circulated declaring that Netanyahu said Israel's action against Iran is "not over." The statement added that Israeli strikes had "seriously weakened the capabilities of the Iranian government" and that Israel hopes the Iranian people will "overthrow their leadership."
The Cancelled US Visit
One of the most intriguing elements fueling speculation is the abrupt cancellation of the US envoy visit. Neither American nor Israeli officials have explained why Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner called off high level talks on the ongoing conflict.
Some Iranian sources have suggested this cancellation may be linked to Netanyahu's condition, though no evidence supports this connection.
Previous False Claims
This is not the first time Iranian claims about Netanyahu's whereabouts have surfaced during the conflict. Earlier in the fighting, Iranian military claims that Netanyahu's fate was "unclear" after a purported strike were dismissed by Netanyahu's office as "fake news," according to Times of Israel. Xinhua also reported on March 2 that residents near Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem saw no signs of a missile impact after similar Iranian claims.
The Context of War
The speculation comes amid a widening conflict that began on February 28 with joint US Israeli strikes against Iran, following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Fighting has since expanded to involve Hezbollah and the Houthi movement, with casualties reportedly exceeding 2,000 and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Iran has launched retaliatory missile strikes against Israel and multiple US military installations across the Gulf, including Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, the US Fifth Fleet service center in Bahrain, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, and Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
Analysis The Fog of War
As The Jerusalem Post noted, during fast moving conflicts, "the absence of a new video, a vague official statement, or a change in a visiting dignitary's schedule can quickly become raw material for conspiracy theories."
Tasnim is widely described as affiliated with or close to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the US Treasury lists the outlet as linked to the IRGC. Its report fits "a familiar pattern in Iranian and pro Iranian information warfare, with real fragments of public information stitched together into a dramatic narrative, then circulated as if they point to a hidden event."
What Comes Next
With Israeli officials maintaining complete silence and no credible public source confirming Tasnim's theory, the world waits for definitive proof of Netanyahu's condition.
In Israeli public life, security around senior leaders often shifts during wartime, and official communications are regularly issued in text form. None of that, on its own, amounts to evidence of an assassination or serious injury.
Until Netanyahu appears publicly on video or until Israeli officials break their silence the speculation will continue to spread across global media, a testament to the information warfare dimensions of the expanding Middle East conflict.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Reporting contributed by Fox News foreign correspondents and wire services.
