New Delhi: The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check unit on Tuesday dismissed as fake a viral claim on social media that India had shared the location of an Iranian naval ship with Israel, reportedly based on an AI-generated video of Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi that was widely circulated by Pakistani propaganda accounts and later amplified by a Turkish newspaper.
According to PIB Fact Check, the Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak cited the manipulated video and claimed that India had admitted to sharing the location of an Iranian ship with Israel. However, the government’s fact-checking unit clarified that the claim was completely false and misleading.
In a post on X, it said: “Based on an AI video of Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi circulated by Pakistani Propaganda accounts, Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak has further claimed that India admitted sharing Iranian ship location with Israel”.
The fact-checking unit clearly stated that the claim being circulated online was fake and that the Army chief had made no such remarks. It also urged citizens to remain cautious and report suspicious or misleading content.
“The claim made is Fake. Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has not made such statement. If you come across such dubious content, send it on our WhatsApp Number +91 8799711259.”
The agency also shared another post of PIB Fact Check highlighting the nature of the misinformation campaign. It said that Pakistani propaganda accounts were spreading a digitally manipulated video falsely attributing statements to the Indian Army Chief.
“Pakistani propaganda accounts are sharing a digitally manipulated video of the Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, making false claims that when the Iranian ship crossed the international waters, as Israeli strategic allies, it was our duty to inform Israel about their exact location as a part of our newer strategic deal. PIBFactCheck. Beware! This is an #AI-generated deepfake video shared to mislead the public. General Upendra Dwivedi has made NO such statement.”
In the viral video, the COAS can be purportedly heard saying: “We are closely monitoring the situation in Iran. Israel is our close ally. The Iranian naval ship being sunk is indeed unfortunate, but it was done in international waters. As long as the Iranian ship remained in Indian waters, they remained protected, but when they crossed into international waters, as Israeli strategic allies, it was our duty to inform Israel of their exact location as a part of our newer strategic deal. So, you’re wrong to assume that Iranian naval ships were destroyed within Indian territory. What Israel does in international waters is their business. We can provide Israel with location or intelligence, but we had no part in the Israeli and US joint torpedo attack. They did their business; it is Iran’s war, and India has nothing to do with it. Our focus remains on Pakistan, and Israel will help us achieve that goal. We remain grateful to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for helping us seek permission to import Russian fuel.”
According to PIB, the video circulating online was manipulated using artificial intelligence to falsely attribute controversial remarks to General Dwivedi regarding India’s alleged role in sharing intelligence with Israel.
To counter the misinformation, PIB Fact Check also shared the original and unedited clip of the Army chief’s remarks. The video was taken from the Raisina Dialogue 2026, where General Dwivedi participated in a discussion with Observer Research Foundation Vice President Harsh V. Pant.
During that session, the Army chief spoke about lessons from Operation Sindoor and the evolving nature of modern warfare. He also emphasised that India’s policy is to respond firmly to acts of terrorism and highlighted the need for better coordination and synergy among different defence services and agencies.
(IANS)
