New Delhi, August 17: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has labeled reports claiming the arrest of an Indian citizen in Tehran as false. The MEA’s official fact-check platform urged the public not to believe such misleading claims.
Social media posts had alleged that Iranian authorities arrested an Indian national accused of gathering GPS coordinates of sensitive military sites near Tehran. Accompanying the posts were images of a person and satellite pictures of the purported military area.
The MEA Fact Check dismissed these allegations, warning social media users against trusting and sharing such malicious and misleading posts.
In conjunction with the debunking, the MEA Fact Check shared four posts, all featuring similar text with minimal variation. This indicates a cut-and-paste nature of the claims, stating that an Indian citizen was arrested for collecting GPS coordinates of sensitive locations. One account, named ‘Pakistan Now,’ further suggests that neighboring countries may be involved in spreading rumors against India, as similar attempts have been made in the past.
This incident arises amid a surge of various claims regarding security and military activities related to Iran on social media. Sharing serious accusations like arrest or espionage without official confirmation can promote misinformation.
The Indian government’s Ministry of External Affairs regularly issues clarifications regarding false and misleading information related to foreign affairs through its official platforms. Statements and fact-check information are available on the ministry’s official website.
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