Fake Iranian statements allegedly used to push nuclear weapons claims

TEL AVIV: An Israeli journalist has alleged that a fabricated statement attributed to an Iranian official was circulated as part of an effort to portray Tehran as actively seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

According to Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman, a false statement was allegedly created and attributed to Ahmad Vahidi, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The fabricated remarks purportedly claimed that Iran was developing nuclear weapons.

Bergman said the alleged fake statement was initially circulated through the social media account of a Hindu extremist in India before being amplified by a number of prominent Israeli and US-linked accounts and figures.

He alleged that the material was subsequently shared by accounts associated with Israel’s Mossad, an Israeli television channel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US ambassador to the United Nations.

The claims have raised questions about the role of disinformation in the highly sensitive debate surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme, particularly amid continuing tensions between Tehran and Israel.

The allegation is significant because claims about Iran’s nuclear ambitions have repeatedly featured in political and security debates in the region. Any fabricated statement presented as an authentic admission could potentially influence public opinion and international perceptions.

However, the reported allegations concern the authenticity and circulation of the statement rather than independently establishing the broader question of Iran’s nuclear intentions.

The development highlights how rapidly unverified material can spread across social media and be amplified by influential accounts, especially during periods of heightened geopolitical tension.

The claims attributed to Bergman are likely to fuel further debate over information warfare, source verification and the use of alleged intelligence-related material in the ongoing Iran-Israel confrontation.