Several accounts active on the social media platform X claim to be affiliated with Iranian media or the Iranian military. However, investigations have revealed that these accounts are not actually operated from Iran — they are being run from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and other countries. These handles frequently spread unverified and misleading information related to wars and international events.
Accounts Identified
The investigation uncovered multiple handles posing as Iranian media or military sources but operating from elsewhere. These include accounts based in Afghanistan (IranPressp0k, IranUpdate99), Pakistan (irantimes3, IranianTime, Rimland_Intel, force25877, IranUpdates0, IraniMilitaryy), Bangladesh (_Iran__News), and other countries (iraninarabic_ir, DailyIranNews, GEM4_press). These accounts present themselves as Iranian media outlets, military insiders, or sources of exclusive updates, while routinely sharing unverified claims about conflicts, military activities, and global events — often without citing any credible source.
Misleading Profile Information
A closer look at these accounts reveals a common pattern: many display the Iranian flag in their names and profile photos, list Tehran or Iran as their location, yet their account details show “Account based in Pakistan.” In other words, they project an Iranian identity while actually operating out of Pakistan — suggesting a deliberate effort to spread disinformation under the guise of Iranian sources.
Similarly, handles like Iran Press and Iran Update show “Account based in Afghanistan,” while Iran Times lists “Account based in Bangladesh.” The names suggest Iranian origin, but the actual locations tell a different story.
Other accounts follow the same playbook from different locations — iraninarabic_ir lists Germany, DailyIranNews lists North America, and GEM4_press appears to operate from West Asia.
Anti-India Narratives
Several of these accounts, while posing as Iranian media or military sources, have been found spreading false or baseless claims about India. In many instances, they use international conflicts or regional tensions as a backdrop to push anti-India narratives. This pattern appears to be especially pronounced among accounts identified as operating from Pakistan.
Examples of False Claims
The investigation found numerous misleading posts. One handle, irantimes3, falsely claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been killed by Iran and that his body was found in rubble — a claim flatly denied by Israeli officials and credible news sources, who confirmed he was safe.
Another set of posts falsely claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had arrived in Iran, a claim that was never confirmed by any official government or reliable media outlet. Additionally, some accounts shared AI-generated videos and images of military and war scenarios without proper context — for instance, a video of a ship tilting was shared and falsely linked to the Iran-Israel conflict, with no credible source provided.
Conclusion
Multiple accounts on X are actively impersonating Iranian media and military sources. Profile and account data, however, reveal that many of these handles are operated from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and elsewhere — not Iran. Content analysis shows these accounts routinely share unverified military updates, war-related disinformation, and false claims about prominent international figures and events, contributing to widespread confusion on social media.
