International
oi-Ashish Rana
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday issued a direct threat against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid viral assassination rumours, declaring that if he is still alive, they will continue efforts to target him. The sharp statement came even as Netanyahu’s office rejected online speculation about his death and insisted that the Israeli premier is “fine”.
Following viral assassination rumours, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directly threatened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, vowing continued pursuit if he remains alive, despite his office denying the false reports.
Netanyahu death rumours spread online after viral social media claims
The controversy erupted after a wave of social media posts claimed that Netanyahu had been assassinated, prompting questions to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. Responding to the rumours, the office firmly denied the reports and said the Israeli leader was safe.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “fine,” his office claimed after social media posts suggested he had died. A correspondent from the Anadolu Agency asked the office if they had a statement on the increasing claims on social media that “Netanyahu has been assassinated.”
“These are fake news; the Prime Minister is fine,” the office replied.
The denial came as unverified claims continued circulating online, adding to the already heightened tensions surrounding the ongoing conflict involving Israel, Iran and the United States.
Iran Guards issue direct warning against Israeli Prime Minister
Soon after the rumours gained traction, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps escalated the rhetoric with a public statement targeting Netanyahu. In a message carried by its website Sepah News, the Guards described the Israeli Prime Minister as a “child-killing criminal” and vowed to continue hunting him down.
“If this child-killing criminal is alive, we will continue to pursue and kill him with full force,” the Guards said in a statement on their website Sepah News.
The threat marks a major escalation in language from the IRGC and comes at a time of deepening hostilities in the region, with the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war continuing to dominate international attention.
AI-generated video claims add fuel to online speculation
Adding another layer to the rumours, social media users also began questioning the authenticity of a video Netanyahu posted on Friday. The Israeli Prime Minister had shared footage of a press conference related to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war on his X account, but some users claimed the clip showed signs of AI manipulation.
In the video, several social media users claimed to have noticed what appeared to be six fingers on Netanyahu’s right hand, leading to speculation that the footage may have been artificially generated.
At the 0:35 mark, when Netanyahu raises his hands, extra flesh is seen next to the little finger, which many social media users claimed was the sixth finger, a ‘Classic AI finger glitch’.
The claim quickly spread across social platforms, with users pointing to the supposed visual anomaly as evidence that the video was not genuine. However, no official confirmation has emerged to support the allegation that the footage was AI-generated.
Tensions remain high as misinformation and threats collide
The episode underscores how quickly misinformation, online conspiracy claims and wartime propaganda can combine to inflame an already volatile situation. While Netanyahu’s office has categorically dismissed the assassination rumours as false, the IRGC’s statement has added a dangerous new dimension by turning viral speculation into an explicit public threat.
With regional tensions already running high, the combination of false death rumours, questions over the authenticity of wartime messaging and open threats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards is likely to keep attention firmly fixed on developments involving Netanyahu in the coming hours.
