How an Indian X handle's fake Iran quote reached Netanyahu, US

A false claim about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, first posted by an India-based X account, travelled through Israeli and US information networks before being cited publicly by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior American political figures, according to a report by The Times of India.

On August 5, the X account @RealBababanaras posted an alleged statement attributed to Brig Gen Ahmad Vahidi, a senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claiming that Iran would continue working on nuclear weapons as long as the US and Israel possessed them. The post did not cite a source. Another India-based account, @Im_Ritikaa, later shared a paraphrased version in Hindi.

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According to TOI, there is no evidence that Vahidi made the statement. Israeli outlet Ynet and The New York Times have also reported that the quote was not genuine.

The claim was subsequently amplified by Mossad Commentary, an Israeli X account not affiliated with Israel's intelligence agency, and later by Israeli broadcaster Channel 14 English. Mossad Commentary's post had received more than 300,000 views by August 17, while the Channel 14 post had nearly 450,000 views when TOI reported on the episode.

The claim then reached Yair Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister's son, who reposted it. Later that day, Netanyahu referred to the alleged statement during a ceremony in Jerusalem, saying that IRGC commander Vahidi had "explicitly" declared Iran's intention to continue developing nuclear weapons.

The claim was subsequently reposted by US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, conservative commentator Mark Levin and Republican Senator Rick Scott. Fox News also aired the claim before later clarifying that it had been "taken out of context and amplified."

The actual statement by Vahidi, according to the report, was linked to remarks he made in 2025. At the time, he had said Iran's position on nuclear weapons was transparent and that Tehran was "ready to do whatever it deems necessary" in response to repeated US and Israeli aggression.

The episode also highlights an existing information loop between @RealBababanaras and Mossad Commentary. TOI reported that the Israeli account had previously cited the Indian account for claims about explosions in Iran and an alleged US strike on a uranium-enrichment and nuclear research facility.

The Indian account had also posted in April that Tehran was preparing for its "first official nuclear test within weeks". The claim was later echoed by other social media accounts and recycled again in May.

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The wider circulation of such posts has raised questions about the role of India-based accounts in shaping online narratives around the Iran conflict. Yonatan Hassidim, CEO of an Israeli company that monitors online activity, told an Israeli parliamentary hearing earlier this year that around 70% of accounts sharing Netanyahu's posts in his sample were not Israeli.

The cycle continued on August 17, when US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that his "No. 1 goal" was to ensure Iran could not have a nuclear weapon. @RealBababanaras subsequently repackaged Trump's statement as a reaction to Iran allegedly refusing to hand over enriched uranium and halt its nuclear programme.

With inputs from TOI