The dramatic quote that was never said, and the journey of a fake: 'Someone is running an illegal influence operation again, this time in the US'
An ynet investigation reveals how a fabricated quote attributed to Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi, claiming Iran would continue developing nuclear weapons as long as Israel and the US possess them, traveled the world in 15.5 hours: starting from a dubious Indian account, getting a stamp from Channel 14, echoed by Yair Netanyahu, cited in the PM's speech at Mount Herzl, reaching the US ambassador to the UN and Fox News, and returning to India as a story sourced from 'Israeli media'. The article details the distribution chain and the questions raised about coordination between the parties.
ynet reveals how a fabricated quote attributed to Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi made a global journey in 15.5 hours and became 'truth' in the media. On August 5, at 09:14, an Indian account named 'Ritika' published a quote in Hindi claiming Vahidi said Iran would continue developing nuclear weapons as long as Israel and the US possess them. At 13:49, the account Mossad Commentary, which is not the Mossad, translated it into English. At 14:22, Channel 14 in English published the claim as news, adding it was 'the first time a senior Iranian official directly admits to developing a nuclear bomb'. At 14:49 and 14:52, Yair Netanyahu tweeted both accounts. Before 17:02, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a state speech at Mount Herzl: 'Today we heard the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Vahidi, explicitly declare Iran's intention to continue developing nuclear weapons'. At 17:35, US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, shared the post and wrote: 'Finally admitting what has been clear for years', but later deleted it. At 19:10, Yaakov Bardugo on Channel 14 presented the matter as fact. At 20:38, the Israeli Foreign Ministry distributed Netanyahu's words in Persian. At 20:56, Mossad Commentary pointed to Channel 14 as the source. At 22:01, Fox News reported it as fact. The article notes that an extensive search found no Iranian source for the quote, and that Channel 14 had built Vahidi as a superhero for months. According to 'Bodkim', the 'Ritika' account has a history of spreading fake news. The article raises questions about coordination among the parties that echoed the quote.