How An Indian Social Media Post Became A Fake Iran Nuke Claim Cited By Israeli PM Netanyahu
· Free Press Journal
The US-Iran war is being fought not just in the skies or around the Strait of Hormuz, but also across social media. As missiles and drone attacks dominate the headlines, misinformation, memes and competing claims are emerging as another battleground, influencing the course of the war and stalled ceasefire efforts in real time.
A recent incident shows how fast false information can travel from an obscure social media account to the highest levels of government. A report by The New York Times traced the origins of a claim concerning Iran’s nuclear programme.
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Within hours, the claim had made its way to front pages in Israel and the US, was cited by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a speech, and was shared by Mike Waltz, the Trump administration’s ambassador to the United Nations, The New York Times reported.
Sensex Down 455 Points, Nifty Slips 0.4% As Iran War Concerns Keep Crude Oil Prices Elevated; India VIX RisesAn anonymous India-based X account posted what appeared to be a major claim on the morning of August, alleging that Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, had said Iran would not give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons as long as Israel and the United States possessed them. The post featured a photograph of the general alongside an AI-generated image of a mushroom cloud.
Claim spreads across social media
There was no evidence that the commander had made such a statement, nor was there any proof that Iran had developed a nuclear weapon. Despite this, the claim spread rapidly across social media.
The quote was picked up by Israeli social media accounts and later aired by an Israeli television channel, which presented it as Iran’s first public admission that it was developing a nuclear bomb. By that evening, the claim had reached Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at Mount Herzl, Israel’s national cemetery in Jerusalem, where he cited it as evidence of Iran’s intentions.
The claim also reached Washington. Trump administration’s ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz shared it on X, writing that Iran was “finally admitting what’s been obvious for years.”
Origin of the claim
The New York Times traced how quickly the claim spread, finding that it originated with an Indian X account with around 175,000 followers. About two hours later, another Indian account with roughly 82,000 followers shared a Hindi translation of the claim.
Soon, an Israeli account called Mossad Commentary amplified the claim and suggested that Iran was deliberately stalling talks. The account shares its name with Israel’s intelligence agency but has no confirmed links to it. About 30 minutes later, Israel’s Channel 14 aired the alleged quote in English.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's son Yair Netanyahu, a political commentator, further amplified the claim. Less than three hours later, it appeared in his father’s speech.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei rejected the post and termed it as “an example of the flood of lies against the Islamic Republic.” Waltz's post was quietly taken down from X without explanation.