Fake Iran nuclear quote spread from India to Netanyahu in hours

An unverified quote falsely attributed to a commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps spread from an anonymous Indian X account to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech within hours, The New York Times has reported. On August 5, a post claimed Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi had said Iran would not abandon its nuclear weapons pursuit while Israel and the US possessed them. The post included an AI-generated mushroom cloud image.

The claim was shared by an Israeli account called Mossad Commentary and broadcast on Israel's Channel 14. Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister's son, amplified it. Netanyahu cited the quotation as evidence of Iran's intentions during a speech at Mount Herzl. Mike Waltz, the Trump administration's UN ambassador, and Senator Rick Scott also shared it online, Waltz's post was later deleted. Fox News covered the claim.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei rejected the quote as "an example of the flood of lies against the Islamic Republic" and accused Israel of fabrications, without offering evidence. Tehran maintains its nuclear programme is civilian. The incident demonstrates how fast an unverified claim can move from social media into high-level political debate about Iran, its nuclear ambitions, and stalled ceasefire negotiations.