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Fact Check: Iranian official did not say Pakistan will attack Israel with nuclear weapons if Tehran nuked
A video on social media platforms and media outlets showing Iranian National Security Council member Mohsen Rezaei saying Pakistan will attack Israel with a nuclear weapon as retribution for attacking Iran is fabricated and fake.
Virality
The video went viral after being shared by predominantly Indian social media users and was amplified after being reported by Indian media outlets. The news was also reported by British tabloid ‘The Mail on Sunday’.
Indian journalist @adityaRajKaul shared a post on social media site X with the caption, “Pakistan gives Nuclear bomb Threat to Israel via Iran.” The video has been viewed 899,000 times as June 16.
Another Indian user @ragipsoylu also shared the video with the caption, “What!? Pakistan told Iran that “if Israel drops a nuclear weapon on Tehran, we will drop a nuclear weapon on them.”
The video has been video 1.1 million times. Another user @megatron_ron shared the video with the caption, “Pakistan is going to nuke Israel if Netanyahu does for the nuclear bomb.”
Iranian state-run media outlet Press TV also shared the video on X with the caption, “Iran has undisclosed nuclear capabilities to unleash.”
Sidhant Sibal, X handle @sidhant, assistant editor for foreign affairs at WION News, reposted the video, with his post accumulating over 806,000 views, while Indian journalist Rahul Shivshankar @RShivshanker shared the clip gaining 21,300 views.
The news was reported by several India-based media outlets including Hindustan Times, NDTV, India TV, India Today, and News 18. It was also reported in Turkish news outlet Turkiye Today, and most predominantly in the British tabloid ‘The Mail on Sunday’.
The transcription of the video clip says, “What has happened in the past few days? All the Arab countries have contacted us and said that they support us. Pakistan has said that if Israel wants to launch an atomic bomb, we will launch an atomic bomb.
“The feelings of the Muslims in the region will be extremely overwhelming. The stronger we act, the more our people will cooperate with the armed forces, the more we will be able to overcome this turning point. This will be a turning point for our people in terms of political, military and economic development.”
Methodology
In the viral video, Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei is speaking in Farsi, saying Pakistan vowed retribution against Israel with nuclear weapons if Iran is attacked.
A new report by the Iranian outlet Press TV on June 15 shows the interview with the Iranian official with the following headline: “War against Zionist regime progressing with prudence and management: Ex-IRGC chief”.
The report made no mention of Pakistan or any such statement neither did other Iranian media outlets.
Fact Check Pakistan determined the video is doctored and the Iranian official has not made any such statement. The claim that Mohsen Rezaei said that Pakistan assured Iran of attacking Israel with nuclear weapons is false.
Denial
Due to the virality of the claims and the ongoing regional tensions, Pakistani officials issued a denial and said the country’s nuclear programme was for its own defence.
Addressing the National Assembly, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar refuted claims circulating on social media suggesting that Pakistan would launch a nuclear strike if Israel did so first.
Calling the viral statement “highly irresponsible and entirely false,” Dar said, “This is completely baseless. We declared in 1998 that our nuclear weapons are solely for our own defence and protection.”
He noted that Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine was solely for its own protection, aimed at maintaining peace in the region. “Our nuclear capability is essential for regional stability,” he said, urging caution against the dangers of misinformation and propaganda.
Source: https://www.geo.tv/latest/609487-iran-ready-for-talks-if-israel-halts-attacks-says-ishaq-dar
