Is Iran really boasting about attacking Israel on X? This is what's really going on

"Remember, we didn't initiate it."

Those are the words of a post on X which racked up over 775,000 likes on 13 June as new tensions between Iran and Israel escalated. It was from a verified account named 'Iran Military', and seemingly, as the evening went on, appeared to be providing real-time updates on the conflict.

While some said it was an act of defiance, others turned on Iran for 'mocking' a conflict that's cost many people their lives, and will continue to do so.

Other viral posts included words such as, "When the last sword strikes, we'll see who remains", "Everyone will feel it", and even footage of missiles being launched into Tel Aviv alongside the caption: "We've arrived."

The posts have gone on to be wide-spread across Instagram, Facebook, and even made an appearance on popular viral news outlet, WorldStar Hip Hop.

Facebook

It would be a pretty dystopian way of starting WWIII, however, what many people didn't notice among the reposts and shares, is that the account doesn't belong to Iran's military at all, and the two countries certainly aren't at war with their words online.

Admittedly, the account looked pretty legit on the surface, with the Iranian flag as its profile photo, 1.2 million followers, and countless posts documenting Iranian conflict.

The posts began going viral when Israel carried out what they deemed a 'preventative' strike on Iran, after they claimed the country was building nuclear weapons - which they deny.

However, it's worth noting a real government organisation would've had X's silver verification badge, rather than the blue tick that any user can pay for.

In fact, 70 per cent of the internet is banned in Iran, with Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Telegram all blocked or restricted since 2009.

The only official channel belonging to the country is that of supreme leader Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei, who has been providing regular updates on Iran's military activity, but has been getting nowhere near the traction of the dud account.

In the days following, X appears to have cottoned on to the illegitimacy of the account, which has since changed its name to 'Daily Iran Military', and its bio to reflect that it's providing 'updates on the Islamic Public of Iran Armed Foces'. The platform has also given it a 'commentary' account badge.

In a world where fake news is becoming a rapidly-growing issue, let this be a sign not to believe everything you read online.

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