An image of Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has gone viral on social media platforms. Users are fervently sharing this image and claiming that he is peacefully herding sheep after his resignation as president.

An account with username @Sprinterfactory has posted this image on X and claimed: “Ex-President of Iran (2005-2013) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , peacefully herding sheep after he resigned as president. The ex-president renounced his presidential pension, returned to teach at the university, receiving $250 a month, and lives modestly in his house”

The posted image has garnered around 2 million views on X

Moreover, several users has shared this image and made similar claims on X.

Fact-Check

A reverse-image search of this viral image led us to a report by an Iranian media outlet published in 1395 which is similar to 2016 (English Calendar). The report carried a similar image of Ahmadinejad showing him accompanied by another person.

According to this report, Dr. Ahmadinejad visited the village of Kandlos in the districts of Kajur, Mazandaran province on his 60th birthday. He toured the heights with Dr. Abdul Reza Sheikhul Islami while meeting with the warm-hearted people of Kandlos.

Conclusion

It is evident from DFRAC’s Fact-Check the viral image has been misleadingly shared on X with a false claims. The image was from 2016 indeed when Ahmadinejad visited Kandlos village in Mazandaran province on his 60th birthday.

Analysis: Misleading