US Iran conflict: Amid rumours regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s death in the thick of the country’s escalating tensions with Iran, he posted a video on social media, dismissing the claims as false. In the video, Netanyahu is seen sitting calmly in a restaurant and sipping coffee, signalling that he is safe and sound. The clip was apparently aimed at countering the viral speculation that he had either been killed, or had fled to Germany. [caption id="attachment_1096" align="alignnone" width="1200"]
Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu[/caption]
Deepfake video triggered speculation
Notably, the speculation regarding Netanyahu’s well-being began after a video message dated March 13, 2026 went viral. Netanyahu was seen conveying a message in the video. Some social media users claimed that the Israeli leader had six fingers on his right hand in the footage. This led several netizens to allege that the clip had been generated by means of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Deepfake technology. Soon after this, unverified claims broke the internet, suggesting that Netanyahu had been killed in an attack launched by Iran. Later, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office released an official statement, clarifying that he was completely safe and that the viral claims were unfounded. US Iran conflict: Iran too rejects claims about Mojtaba Khamenei’s injury
[caption id="attachment_1098" align="alignnone" width="1200"]
Mojtaba Khamenei[/caption]
Meanwhile, Iran also dismissed claims of new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei sustaining injuries in the attack. A report by the British Tabloid ‘The Sun’ claimed that Khamenei had been grievously injured in a joint strike by the US-Israel on February 28, 2026, and had fallen into a coma. The claims even suggested that one of his legs had been amputated. Iranian authorities refuted the reports, stating that Khamenei was completely healthy, terming the claims as misinformation. 19 Indians held in UAE for spreading fake news
Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, 35 individuals accused of spreading fake videos and posting misleading information on social media were arrested in the UAE. According to news agency PTI, the arrested accused included 19 Indian nationals too. Jaishankar holds talks with Gulf counterparts
While the regional tensions are escalating, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday held discussions with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).