Mossad Activates Indian, Afghan Networks to Push Pro-Reza Pahlavi Disinformation Amid US-Iran Tensions
Israel’s Mossad has mobilized networks in India and Afghanistan to spread fake news promoting Reza Pahlavi, the US-based exiled son of Iran’s last shah, as the country’s future monarch while advancing pro-Israel narratives during escalating US-Iran tensions and nationwide protests.
The accusation, amplified in X posts from January 14 citing Israel’s Haaretz newspaper as the source, describes coordinated disinformation efforts using Indian- and Afghan-linked accounts to boost support for Pahlavi’s restoration and alignment with Israel. No recent Haaretz articles or major international outlets have confirmed the specific involvement of Indian or Afghan networks in such operations.
Iranian state media, including Press TV and Tasnim, have consistently portrayed the ongoing protests—fueled by severe economic crisis, rial collapse, and hyperinflation—as externally engineered subversion orchestrated by Mossad, the CIA, and allied intelligence services. Authorities have released videos of alleged Mossad-recruited operatives confessing to recruitment by Israeli handlers, dissemination of fake protest audio inserting monarchist chants, and efforts to redirect economic grievances into regime-change demands.
Reza Pahlavi, in exile since the 1979 revolution, has openly endorsed the protests, called for nationwide strikes in vital industries, urged demonstrators to occupy city centers, and positioned himself to lead a post-Islamic Republic transition—drawing both diaspora support and fierce regime condemnation as a “Zionist agent.” His 2023 visit to Israel, where he met senior officials including Benjamin Netanyahu, and his public backing of Israeli regional policies have fueled accusations of foreign coordination.
The narrower claim of “Indian and Afghan networks” activation remains limited to pro-Iran or anti-Israel social media amplification, lacking independent corroboration from Western, neutral, or mainstream sources. The broader context includes Iran’s tightened internet controls, Tehran FIR airspace restrictions, IRGC elevation to maximum combat readiness, and international travel warnings amid protests and regional military movements.
