Netanyahu has faced similar accusations in the past
Uproar has been caused by the information domino investigated by Israeli outlet Ynet, as a controversial statement attributed to a senior Iranian official regarding the development of nuclear weapons appears to have originated from a single post on X and, within hours, reached Benjamin Netanyahu and subsequently American media. The controversial statement was attributed to the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Ahmad Vahidi, and was presented as a direct admission that Iran will continue to develop nuclear weapons as long as the US and Israel possess their own.
However, the investigation found no primary source confirming that Vahidi made this specific statement in the manner and timeframe presented. Instead, Ynet mapped an impressively fast chain of reproduction: from an Indian pro-Israeli account on X, to Israeli accounts and media outlets, to Netanyahu's son, and finally to the Israeli prime minister himself, before the information crossed the Atlantic to be reproduced by figures and outlets such as Fox News. The case becomes even more interesting following the subsequent clarification by Fox News that the statement in question had been taken out of context and misreported as recent. However, the damage was already done... An unverified piece of information was transformed within hours into "proof" of Tehran's nuclear intentions.
How it all started
"There will be no discussion about enriched uranium or nuclear weapons. As long as the United States and Israel possess nuclear weapons, we will continue to work on them for our national security. If they disarm, we will disarm," the post read, attributing the words to Vahidi. According to Ynet, the statement began spreading at great speed immediately after its publication. About 4.5 hours later, the account d Commentary, which presents itself on X as an unofficial account of Israeli intelligence—though it has no connection to the foreign intelligence agency Mossad—repeated the claim to its more than 1 million followers. "THERE WILL BE NO FINAL DEAL. The sooner we understand this, the better," the account stated, before quoting Vahidi's alleged statement.
The account added: "The regime is not preparing to abandon its nuclear ambitions. It is buying time. There will be no deal." Israel's Channel 14 reproduced Vahidi's alleged statement, framing it as the first direct admission by an Iranian official that Tehran is developing an atomic bomb. It provided no primary source for the specific quote. Channel 14 News is widely considered in Israel to be a mouthpiece for Netanyahu and his far-right government. A recent report found that the Israeli government had purchased television advertising time worth millions of shekels from that specific channel in recent years. Ynet reported that Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister's eldest son, subsequently reposted content from the two Israeli accounts to his nearly 300,000 followers on X. Yair Netanyahu is one of the most influential figures in the prime minister's inner circle, with numerous reports alleging that he and his mother, Sara Netanyahu, are heavily involved in the prime minister's decision-making. The prime minister's eldest son is known for promoting hardline political positions and false information through his social media accounts, while many Likud party officials seek his political endorsement.
Netanyahu adopts the statement, which then spreads to the United States
"Today we heard the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Vahidi, explicitly state that Iran intends to continue developing nuclear weapons — 'to continue,' as he put it," Netanyahu said, according to Ynet's investigation. The alleged statement subsequently spread to the United States. According to Ynet, Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the United Nations, reposted Channel 14's report before later deleting it. American conservative commentator Mark Levin also reposted the controversial report. Fox News subsequently broadcast that Vahidi had declared Iran would continue working on nuclear weapons as long as the US and Israel possess theirs. Later, the outlet clarified its report, noting that the comments "had previously been taken out of context and amplified, presenting them as comments made this week."
The alleged statement continued to circulate in Israeli media, with journalists close to Netanyahu, including Yaakov Bardugo and Avishay Ben Haim, echoing the prime minister's warning on Israeli television, according to Ynet. The Israeli Foreign Ministry's Persian-language account on X also published Netanyahu's statements regarding Ahmad Vahidi. About 13 hours after the initial post by the Indian account, Fox News aired the alleged statement, claiming that it "heightens concerns that Iran is using the Strait of Hormuz negotiations to delay concessions on its nuclear program."
Two days later, the outlet clarified that Vahidi's statements "had previously been taken out of context and amplified, presenting them as comments made this week." Two hours after Fox's initial report, Asian News International, a major Indian news agency, reproduced the claim, citing Israeli reports. According to Ynet, Vahidi's alleged statement served Netanyahu in reinforcing his claim that Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon, amid reports alleging that Netanyahu opposes an agreement between the US and Iran. In June, Netanyahu told Channel 14 News that "as long as I am prime minister, Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons," adding that he saved Israel from "destruction" twice by claiming that Iran possessed atomic bombs. Although Ynet could not determine whether Netanyahu or his inner circle ordered the dissemination of Vahidi's alleged statement, the investigation noted that the case "presents a series of familiar features of disinformation spread."
It has happened before...
Ynet noted that Netanyahu has faced similar accusations in the past. In September 2024, Netanyahu's office allegedly provided the British newspaper Jewish Chronicle and the German newspaper Bild with false information claiming that Hamas intended to transport Israeli hostages through the Rafah area, between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, into Iran. Two of Netanyahu's aides are also under investigation regarding allegations that classified documents were leaked with the goal of influencing Israeli public opinion regarding military operations in Gaza and Rafah.
Ynet's investigation stated that recent reports suggest Israeli influence operations have increasingly targeted audiences outside Israel, including the US, amid growing criticism from both Democrats and Republicans regarding Israel's actions in Gaza and Iran. Last month, the Iranian embassy in India also accused Indian media outlets of spreading false information about Iran. "Indian media should not undermine public trust and their professional credibility by spreading false and fabricated news," the embassy stated, adding that it expects the media to "avoid participating in external propaganda efforts."
www.bankingnews.gr
Readers’ Comments