The investigation links the propaganda network with operators in India and Afghanistan with the aim of fueling regional distrust
Iranian people exercise in Pardisan Park, amid the conflict between the United States and Israel with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, on March 25, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS
A coordinated disinformation operation targeting Pakistan has been uncovered, involving fake Iranian identities and accounts operated from India and Afghanistan.
The campaign aimed to create an anti-Pakistan narrative, portraying the country as aligned with Western and anti-Iran agendas. The operation would have started through ghost accounts such as INN Iran News and Iranian Television.
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Investigations revealed that the accounts creating the narrative were run from India, while those amplifying the propaganda were run from Afghanistan. Artificial Iranian responses against Pakistan were spread through accounts operated by Afghans, and the network was used as proliferators to increase reach.
The propaganda campaign is a strategic and gradual operation under the model: Initiator, Proliferator, Amplifier. The false narratives included claims that Pakistan was transporting oil for the United States, which were used to justify propaganda.
The operation seeks to undermine Pakistan’s role in regional peace efforts and create division and mistrust in the Muslim world. The master accounts behind the campaign traced back to India, which managed narrative control and strategic direction, with Iran Weather News identified as a central axis.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain high, with both sides engaging in cross-border clashes and military operations. Pakistan has accused areas controlled by the Afghan Taliban of harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorist groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, while Kabul denies these accusations and calls the Pakistani attacks a violation of its sovereignty. The cycle of retaliatory airstrikes, border bombings and militant attacks has intensified over the past year, causing casualties, damage to infrastructure and disruption to trade, highlighting the fragile security situation along the shared border.
The disinformation effort represents a coordinated threat involving India and Afghanistan, with potential implications for regional stability. They said the campaign exposure demonstrates Pakistan’s alertness against attempts to manipulate public perception and international narratives.
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Iran is also closely monitoring the situation, given its shared border with Afghanistan and Pakistan and the potential for regional contagion. Iran is already at war with the United States and Israel as tensions between the countries have risen sharply, and Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israeli attacks on key industrial and nuclear sites, which it says were coordinated with Washington. The United States has deployed Marines and elite troops to the region, citing the need to protect strategic interests and maintain freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian missile attacks have targeted Israeli and Gulf facilities, prompting warnings of further escalation.
Tehran has expressed concern about rising cross-border tensions and the impact on trade, security and refugee movement. Iran’s strategic interest lies in preventing instability that could embolden militant groups near its eastern border, while maintaining constructive ties with both Islamabad and Kabul to safeguard regional connectivity and economic projects.
