India to Israel and back: How a fake IRGC quote on nuclear weapons reached Netanyahu’s speech

India to Israel and back: How a fake IRGC quote on nuclear weapons reached Netanyahu’s speech Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Sun, 08/09/2026 - 13:48 Report finds the alleged quote about nuclear weapons first appeared on an Indian pro-Israel account on X before being amplified by Israeli and US figures Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives for a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on 28 July 2026 (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP) Off Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated an alleged quote attributed to a senior Iranian commander about Tehran's determination to develop nuclear weapons, even though the statement had no identified primary source and was later traced to an Indian pro-Israel account on X. An investigation by Israeli news outlet Ynet and New York Times journalist Ronen Bergman found that Netanyahu used the alleged quote, attributed to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Ahmad Vahidi, in an official address to warn Israelis about Iran's nuclear plans. Ynet's investigation traced the source of Netanyahu's remarks to Ritika, an Indian Hindu-nationalist and pro-Israel X account, which posted the alleged quote on 5 August.