'Is this fake too?' Netanyahu sends message to 'brave people of Iran' in new video amid AI and death rumours

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has shared yet another video on his social media profile on Tuesday (Mar 17), this time to extend his wishes to the ‘brave people of Iran.’ Netanyahu's video comes at a time when speculations are rife about his wellbeing after several claims surfaced that he has been killed in Iranian strike on Israel. Despite a statement by Netanyahu's office stating clearly that “PM is fine” ad rumours are “fake,” speculation about the Israeli leader’s death continues to persist.

In the video shared on Tuesday, Netanyahu extended greetings to the people of Iran on the holiday season, expressing hope for the triumph of good over evil. The Israeli PM said, "To the brave people of Iran, I wish you, as I do every year, a happy holiday season, beginning with the Festival of Lights. It signifies the age-old belief of the Iranian people that light will triumph over darkness, that good will triumph over evil." He linked the festival to the ongoing Israel-Iran-US war. He also extended broader wishes for the Persian New Year: “I take this opportunity to wish you a happy Nowruz—a year of freedom. A new beginning of hope to all of you.” SEE THE VIDEO HERE

Since the war began, Iranian media claims that Netanyahu has not been seen in public. On March 2, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that it has targeted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's office. On that very day, rumours suggested that he might have fled to Germany. However on March 3, he made his first TV appearance and spoke to US-based Fox News. Rumours about his death surfaced again as he was not seen in Israel for days. Finally on Mar 13, Netanyahu, who rarely gives ⁠interviews to Israeli press or holds news conferences, addressed the public ​via a video link. He had done something similar during 12 day war in 2025. However, social media users claimed that the video was AI generated as a praticular frame in it appeared to show the Israeli PM with six fingers. On Mar 15, another video was uploaded on his social media profile in which he was seen as a coffee shop in Jerusalem Hills. The video was intended to debunk the social media rumours and Netanyahu was heard saying in Hebrew - “dead... for coffee.” He then showed both of his hands to the camera, counting his five fingers on each to quash ‘six fingers’ rumours.

Social media users claimed his teeth appeared "blurry" or shifted while speaking. They also claimed that the Israeli flag appeared static or "rendered" with unnatural lighting compared to the rest of the scene. They compared it with an old Netanyahu interview of 2025 with ABC News. Some also claimed that his finger nails disappeared and reappeared. However, this time AI chatbot Grok said that the video posted by Israeli PM's official account is not AI-generated and stated: “It's a real recording of him speaking in English, with Farsi subtitles added.”

Speculations around his death are not dying down with social media pointing out several moments in all his videos claiming it is AI generated. On the coffee shop video, AI chatbot Grok picked the explanations by the users and added a note to the video stating that it looks “deepfake” or “AI generated.” Similar note was added to TV address on Mar 13. However, the primary reason for rumours is linked to Netanyahu missing seven consecutive security cabinet meetings and his appearances in high-stakes traditional settings and not in casual cafes. Another key reason for the rumours are its peddling by Iranian state media that has generated a narrative that Israel is using sophisticated AI to maintain national morale. Moreover, it may also be added to the ‘fog of war’ in which misinformation is used as a psychological tool.

As far as official response is concerned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "fine” and leading the operations in Iran. The coffee shop - the Sataf – Jerusalem - where he went also posted photos and videos of the visit by Netanyahu and confirmed in its caption that he indeed visited on Mar 15. Reuters verified the video's location from file imagery of the cafe, which matched the interiors seen in ​the video.

(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)