Iran Israel war: Tehran makes shocking claim, urges citizens to delete WhatsApp, Zuckerberg’s company calls it….

Amid escalating tension with Israel, the Iranian government has advised citizens to uninstall WhatsApp from their smartphones, claiming that the Meta-owned messaging app shares information with the rival nation. However, it didn’t share evidence of the data leak. In response, WhatsApp called it a ‘false report’ and expressed concern that this could be a pretext to ban services when people need them the most. 

The Meta-owned WhatsApp denied the data leaks claim, stating, “Concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most.”  Further, the company explained that they don’t track location and provide bulk information to any government. “We do not track your precise location, we don’t keep logs of who everyone is messaging, and we do not track the personal messages people are sending one another. We do not provide bulk information to any government,” it added.

For context, WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, uses end-to-end encryption. It basically means that the messages are scrambled and only the sender and recipient can see them.

Over the years, the Iranian government has banned several social media platforms, although many citizens try to use them through virtual private networks, or VPNs. In 2022, WhatsApp and Google Play services were blocked in the wake of massive protests over the death of a woman held by the country’s morality police. Later, the government revoked the ban in 2024. Alongside  Instagram and Telegram, WhatsApp has been one of Iran’s most popular messaging apps.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded an “unconditional surrender” from Iran amid escalating tensions with Israel. In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump said “we” now have “complete and total control of the skies over Iran” and “we know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding”.He warned, “Our patience is wearing thin”, and then posted, “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” 

As of Tuesday,  the death toll in Israel remains at 24, but more than 647 people are injured, the government said. At least 224 people have been killed in Iran since hostilities began on Friday.