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A purported video of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Upendra Dwivedi, is circulating on social media. The viral clip claims to show him admitting that India shared the location of an Iranian ship with Israel. However, Government fact-checkers have assured that the clip is a deepfake amplified by Pakistani propaganda accounts.
In the 57-second clip, the Army chief appears to say India informed Israel about the exact location of an Iranian naval vessel after it moved into international waters. The video suggests the action formed part of a new strategic understanding between the two countries.
The statement, if genuine, would imply that India helped Israel track the vessel outside Indian waters.
However, there is no evidence that Dwivedi made such remarks.
The Press Information Bureau’s fact-check unit claimed that the video circulating online is a digitally manipulated deepfake to create unrest.
According to PIB, propaganda accounts linked to Pakistan are sharing the altered clip with a false claim that India passed sensitive information about an Iranian ship to Israel.
“Pakistani propaganda accounts are sharing a digitally manipulated video of the Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi making false claims about informing Israel of an Iranian ship’s location.
Beware — this is an AI-generated deepfake video shared to mislead the public,” a PIB statement reads.
Officials clarified that the Army chief has not made such a statement.
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Fact-checkers say the viral clip appears to use real footage from one of Dwivedi’s public appearances. The original audio, however, seems to have been replaced with AI-generated voice content.
The manipulation creates the impression that the Army chief acknowledged sharing sensitive information. Authorities say the remarks in the clip are fabricated.
The video spread quickly across social media platforms, including X and several messaging apps, before being flagged by fact-checkers.
Officials say the episode reflects a wider rise in AI-powered disinformation campaigns. Generative AI tools can now replicate voices and alter videos with increasing realism.
Security analysts warn that deepfakes targeting senior officials can provoke public outrage and distort geopolitical narratives.
Authorities have urged users to verify sensitive claims before sharing them online and report suspicious content to the PIB fact-check helpline.
