A viral claim on social media states that Iranian police have arrested a group of Indian and Afghan protesters involved in attacks on public property and mosques in Iran. Accompanying this claim was a video, which alleged that these protesters were hired by the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad.
An account on X shared the claim and the video with a caption on it, which says “BREAKING: Iranian police have arrested a group of Indian protesters for throwing petrol bombs at Iranian mosques. Reports claim they were PAID and HIRED by Israel’s Mossad as protests happened in the past days.” Further, it mentions Iran’s alleged decision by quoting “Iran Officials say they will be executed soon.”
A similar type of claim, along with the video, was also posted here and here.
Fact-Check
The DFRAC team has determined this claim to be false. No credible media sources have reported any arrests of Indians or Afghans by Iranian police in connection with the current mass protests against the Iranian regime. To verify the authenticity of the video, we conducted a reverse image search of its key frames and found that it depicts the arrest of rioters in Shiraz, Iran, who were accused of damaging public places and public properties. But nowhere was it reported that this incident had a connection to Indians or Afghans.
Additionally, we located a post from Mohammad Fathali, the Iranian Ambassador to India (@IranAmbIndia), archived link, who stated that this claim is false and urged people to rely on trustworthy sources for information.
Conclusion
In summary, the assertion that Indians and Afghans were arrested for inciting unrest and attacking properties in Iran is inaccurate. The video associated with this claim has no relevance to Indians or Afghans, and the Iranian Ambassador to India has publicly refuted the claim.
