Iran rebukes Indian media for ‘fake & fabricated’ coverage of Iran-Israel war
New Delhi: In a rare diplomatic rebuke, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India has issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the Indian media for “fake and fabricated” coverage during the recent Iran-Israel war.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Iran’s sharp criticism of Indian media coverage—deemed as aligning with external propaganda during the unprecedented 12-day conflict, which Tehran described as an “imposed war” by the Zionist regime—marks a first in the bilateral relations between the two countries.
The statement, released by the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi and reported by Clarion India, accused several prominent Indian news outlets of spreading misinformation, disrespecting Iran’s leadership, and compromising professional ethics. Without naming specific media houses, the statement noted that both television and digital platforms had “published baseless reports” that not only disrespected the Islamic Republic but also “undermined public confidence” in journalistic standards.
“Indian media should not compromise the public trust and its professional credibility by disseminating fake and fabricated news,” the embassy said, adding that some coverage amounted to a “participation in external propaganda efforts.”
The statement appeared to be aimed particularly at media houses that repeated Israeli military claims or reported on internal dissent in Iran during the war. Multiple Indian channels, including Times Now, Republic TV, and India Today, ran segments highlighting alleged protests in Tehran, reports of civilian casualties from Iranian misfires, and the purported failure of Iran’s air defence systems.
In one instance, a Republic TV anchor declared during a prime-time debate that “Iran’s miscalculation has boomeranged,” suggesting that the Islamic Republic had “bitten off more than it could chew” in its confrontation with Israel. The channel cited unverified footage allegedly showing explosions in southern Iran, later debunked by independent analysts as recycled clips from Yemen.
Another broadcast by India Today ran a headline: “Iran’s Regime in Crisis?” and aired interviews with pro-Israel analysts who claimed that internal dissent was rising within Iran’s military ranks. The embassy, without naming the program, seemed to allude to this when it condemned “sensationalist and inaccurate content regarding Iran.”
Such portrayals, the Iranian mission argued, were not only misleading but deeply disrespectful to the Iranian people and their leadership.
Reasserting Iran’s narrative of the war, the statement underscored that the Islamic Republic acted purely in self-defence after a series of Israeli provocations, including drone strikes on Iranian targets in Syria and Iraq. It praised Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for his “decisive guidance” as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and credited him with orchestrating what the embassy described as a “historic defeat inflicted on the Zionist regime.”
While reaffirming Iran’s respect for freedom of expression and press freedom, the embassy warned Indian media institutions against becoming tools of “external propaganda” and called for adherence to factual, balanced reporting.
“The Embassy expects that the Indian media will uphold journalistic integrity, avoid participating in external propaganda efforts…”
This statement comes at a time of evolving Middle Eastern geopolitics and growing strategic cooperation between India and Israel, including in defence and surveillance technologies. India’s muted official response to the Iran-Israel war, and its perceived tilt towards Israel in media narratives, have not gone unnoticed in Tehran.
