Iran Foreign Ministry Condemns ‘Disinformation Campaign’ in Strong Statement

Iranian officials have accused Israeli media of fabricating casualty reports from recent unrest in Iran, pointing to a video that appears to contradict claims made by an Israeli news outlet.

The controversy emerged when Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei shared a video on social media platform X featuring a woman who identified herself as Noya (Noa) Zion. In the video, Zion responds to reports from Israel’s Channel 12 that had allegedly used her photograph, claiming she was among those killed during recent disturbances in Iran.

Speaking in Hebrew in the video, Zion displays her own image on a screen while stating that she is alive, safe at home, and has never traveled to Iran. The incident has fueled Iranian claims of systematic misinformation campaigns targeting the country.

Baghaei characterized the situation as part of a “systematic, Hitler-fashioned campaign of große Lüge, disinformation, and false narratives against the Iranian nation.” The term “große Lüge” refers to the German phrase for “Big Lie,” a propaganda concept attributed to Adolf Hitler that involves deliberate distortion of truth to manipulate public opinion.

This incident occurs amid ongoing disputes about casualty figures from recent civil unrest in Iran. Western media and human rights organizations have reported significantly higher numbers than official Iranian sources, with some claims reaching as high as 80,000 deaths during what they describe as government suppression of peaceful protests.

The Iranian government presents a starkly different narrative. According to their official records, 3,117 people died during what they characterize as riots. Of these, authorities classify 2,427 as “martyrs” – a term they use to describe innocent civilians and security personnel allegedly killed by terrorist elements.

Iranian authorities have consistently attributed violence to foreign-backed groups, specifically naming the Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), monarchist factions, and armed separatist organizations. Government sources claim these groups orchestrated coordinated armed attacks on January 8 and 9, allegedly aiming to cause mass casualties and destabilize urban centers across Iran.

The competing narratives highlight the information warfare that often surrounds civil unrest in geopolitically significant nations. Iran has repeatedly accused Western media outlets of deliberately circulating false information about casualties and the nature of protests to damage the country’s international standing.

Media experts note that verifying casualty figures in restricted environments presents significant challenges for international observers. With limited access for independent journalists and human rights investigators, conflicting accounts often persist with little opportunity for objective verification.

The incident also underscores the increasingly complex media landscape where misinformation can spread rapidly across borders, further complicating already tense international relations. Israeli and Iranian media sources frequently accuse each other of deliberate falsehoods, reflecting the broader regional tensions between the two nations.

As these information battles continue, analysts suggest that international audiences increasingly face the difficult task of navigating competing claims from different sources, each with their own political perspectives and agendas.

The Israeli media outlet that allegedly published the report has not issued any public response to the video or to Iranian allegations as of this reporting. Meanwhile, human rights organizations continue to call for independent investigations into the actual circumstances and casualty figures from recent events in Iran.