A seemingly made-up quote from an Iranian general saying that Tehran was working toward nuclear weapons, and would continue to do so, spread all the way from anonymous social media accounts to a speech by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu within several hours, according to reports.

The New York Times said in a Sunday report that while it was unclear where exactly the quote originated from, “it appeared intended to bolster Mr. Netanyahu’s longstanding claim that Iran is determined to build a nuclear weapon.”

Iran, which routinely calls for the destruction of Israel, maintains that its nuclear program is for purely civilian purposes. However, it has enriched uranium to levels far beyond what’s necessary for any peaceful application, and consistently obstructed international inspectors from checking its facilities. Israel has also said Iran has taken steps toward weaponization.

The quote, attributed to the chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, first appeared on August 5 on an Indian Hindu nationalist account on X with tens of thousands of followers.

“There will be no talk on Enriched Urenium [sic] or nuclear weapons, as long as US & Israel are owning nuclear weapons, we will keep working on it for national security. If they dispose, we will dispose,” read the quote.

According to the Ynet news site, which first raised doubts about the veracity of the quote in the early hours of August 6, the “Ritika” account has a history of pro-Israel posts. The Bodkim fact-checking organization noted the account had spread unsourced information in the past and echoed Netanyahu talking points.

The Times said Iran immediately criticized the post, blaming Israel for it without providing evidence, and noted........

© The Times of Israel