An Indian account by the identify, @Im_Ritikaa, fabricated a quote falsely attributing it to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Ahmad Vahidi. The put up, considered by hundreds, claimed that Tehran would proceed pursuing nuclear weapons so long as Israel and the US did. It shortly unfold internationally and managed to enter a speech by Benjamin Netanyahu and feedback made by US officers
On August 5, a declare went viral world wide — it was shared by information channels, American senators and leaders, and even Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The issue with the put up that ultimately marred US-Iran talks to finish the battle and reopen the Strait of Hormuz — it was a part of a pretend information marketing campaign.
The incident highlights how shortly an unverified social media declare can purchase the looks of credibility.
So, what precisely occurred?
The pretend put up on the centre of all of it
On August 5, an X deal with by the identify @Im_Ritikaa, who describes themselves as a “proud Indian”, posted a message that the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Ahmad Vahidi, vowed that his nation would by no means surrender its nuclear weapon ambitions so long as Israel and the US possessed these weapons.
Vahidi, based on the X put up, carried a quote: “There might be no dialogue over enriched uranium or nuclear weapons. So long as the US and Israel possess nuclear weapons, we are going to proceed engaged on them for our nationwide safety. In the event that they disarm, we are going to disarm.”
There is no such thing as a proof that Iran has constructed a nuclear weapon or is working in the direction of this purpose. The truth is, the Islamic Republic has at all times maintained that its nuclear programme has at all times been for civilian functions. Nevertheless, that didn’t cease the declare from spreading quickly.
Extra from ExplainersOn additional investigation, @Im_Ritikaa, the X deal with was created in November 2021 after which verified by X in December 2025. Moreover, the username has modified 4 occasions, with the final username change recorded in September 2022.
The account boasting of 175,000 followers has additionally been criticised by fact-checkers and the federal government of Pakistan for sharing false and Islamophobic content material.
The pretend put up travels from India to Israel
Quickly after the put up was created, it unfold to Israel with Mossad Commentary, which presents itself as an unofficial account of Israel’s intelligence company on X however has no connection to the Mossad international intelligence company, repeating the declare to its a couple of million followers.
“The regime just isn’t getting ready to desert its nuclear ambitions. It’s shopping for time. There might be no deal,” mentioned the account, which based on a New York Occasions report belongs to Gedaliah Blum, an entrepreneur who leads the Heartland Institute, a corporation that organises excursions and different promotional exchanges in Israel.
Israel’s Channel 14 repeated the alleged Vahidi quote, describing it as the primary direct admission by an Iranian official that Tehran was growing a nuclear bomb. It didn’t present a main supply for the citation and shortly unfold like wildfire, racking up greater than 400,000 views.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Netanyahu referred to the alleged assertion throughout an official ceremony in Jerusalem.
“Immediately, we heard the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Vahidi, explicitly declare Iran’s intention to proceed growing nuclear weapons”. File picture/Reuters
Hours later, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair, a podcaster and political advisor who lives close to Miami, reposted the content material.
Three hours later, the pretend content material popped up in Netanyahu’s speech too. “We heard at present the commander of the IRGC, Vahidi, explicitly declaring Iran’s intention to maintain growing nuclear weapons,” the prime minister mentioned at Mount Herzl, Israel’s nationwide cemetery in Jerusalem.
He went on so as to add, “Properly, as prime minister of Israel, I’m decided to proceed. Decided to forestall the Islamic Republic from buying nuclear weapons.”
The US amplifies the pretend put up
In Washington, Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the United Nations, shared the declare on-line, saying Iran was “lastly admitting what’s been apparent for years.”
US Senator Rick Scott of Florida additionally reposted it, and Fox Information additionally coated the declare. Anchor Invoice Hemmer learn the pretend declare whereas interviewing former US Central Command chief Basic Joseph Votel and described it as being about as near an Iranian admission as he had heard.
Nevertheless, shortly after posting the declare, Waltz’s put up was eliminated with none clarification. Equally, Fox Information acknowledged on air that the citation was “unverified and inaccurate” and mentioned it regretted the error.
The pretend put up circles again to India
Surprisingly, after the put up went viral in Israel and located point out by the US, India’s information company, ANI, reported the story, quoting “Israeli media”.
A screenshot of the ANI story on the pretend put up. Picture Courtesy: X
The information company said in its copy, “Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Ahmad Vahidi has mentioned that Iran will proceed engaged on nuclear weapons so long as the US and Israel possess them.” It cited its supply as “Israeli media”, but it surely failed to say any explicit outlet.
Why this pretend put up issues
This explicit pretend declare was delicate as a result of it unfolded as US President Donald Trump was trying to create room for diplomacy with Tehran. The truth is, the put up went viral three days after Trump mentioned he was halting assaults on Iran to provide peace negotiations an opportunity.
As Darren L Linvill of the Media Forensics Hub at Clemson College, who research disinformation and propaganda unfold on social media, informed the New York Occasions, “This quote was clearly crafted to drive a wedge into peace negotiations.”
He additional famous that the unfold of the declare is a textbook case of narrative laundering, a tactic that propagandists use to seed after which shuffle falsehoods via sufficient sources to make them appear genuine.
“It’s a easy marketing campaign,” he added, “however easy campaigns can nonetheless be very efficient, and this appears to have definitely had bang for the buck.”
Iran’s response to the pretend put up
Reacting to this incident, the spokesman for Iran’s international ministry, Esmail Baghaei, criticised the pretend put up, calling it “an instance of the flood of lies in opposition to the Islamic Republic.”
He blamed Israel, however didn’t cite proof.
“The allegations of a hyperlink to a nuclear bomb are based mostly on the identical factor, a lie they’ve been feeding the worldwide neighborhood for 20 years to justify army aggression,” he mentioned.
With inputs from companies
