Former Iranian official calls Netanyahu's Iran attack warnings propaganda
What happened
Mohammad Irani, former director general of Iran's Middle East department, stated in an interview with state news agency IRNA that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's public warnings about possible Iranian attacks are propaganda designed to justify future Israeli military action against Tehran. The characterization was made on 2 October in Tehran.
Context and assessment
The statement reflects Iran's rhetorical response to elevated regional tensions. It follows a pattern of Iranian diplomatic and public messaging over the preceding 24 hours, including a private offer by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to restore UN nuclear inspectors' access, a public address by the Acting Defense Minister accusing the U.S. of manufacturing conflict narratives, and a diplomatic protest over alleged Iranian links to an attempted attack on a British air base. The installation of a threatening Shahed drone mural near the UAE Embassy in Tehran on the same day suggests Iran is simultaneously engaging in both diplomatic channels and escalatory rhetoric, possibly indicating an attempt to manage perceptions while preserving military and diplomatic options.
Sources and confidence
Reported by @Osint613 on X, citing IRNA (Iran's state news agency). Single-source reporting with no corroborating independent confirmation. Confidence score of 6.0 reflects reliance on a social media intermediary rather than direct official access, though IRNA is Iran's authoritative news source. Confirmation from Iranian government officials or Western media monitoring would raise confidence; retraction or clarification by Iranian authorities would lower it.
Location
Tehran, Iran (latitude 35.6892, longitude 51.3889). The statement was made in Tehran, the Iranian capital, where government ministries and media outlets are based. No specific facility was identified; the location represents the administrative and political center where such official statements originate.
Related events nearby
- Iran's Security Council Secretary Rezaei condemns U.S. President Trump, calling him the 'worst president in Am2026-10-02 14:14 UTC · Statement · Tehran, Iran
- Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi privately offered UN diplomats to restore international nuclear inspect2026-10-01 18:44 UTC · Diplomacy · Tehran, Iran
- Iran's Acting Defense Minister Majid Ibn al-Reza publicly addresses the U.S., accusing the White House of mask2026-10-01 14:34 UTC · Statement · Tehran, Iran
- Iran summoned the British ambassador to protest U.K. allegations linking Iran to an attempted attack on RAF Fa2026-10-01 14:34 UTC · Diplomacy · Tehran, Iran
- Shahed drone mural installed near UAE Embassy in Tehran with threatening message directed at UAE, suggesting e2026-10-02 09:47 UTC · Statement · Near UAE Embassy, Tehran, Iran
▶ View this event on the live map
Intel Mapper aggregates open-source reports from monitored Telegram and X channels, geolocates them, cross-checks duplicates across sources and assigns a confidence score. Entries are updated as new confirmations arrive. Read how we verify events.