Proliferation of disinformation in [conflicts] underscores the critical need for media literacy, fact-checking and responsible journalism.
The Israel-Iran conflict entered a dangerous phase this month, not only on the battlefield but also in the digital realm. Both nations, equipped with formidable cyber capabilities, have engaged in a parallel war of disinformation, targeting domestic and international audiences.
This digital front has seen a surge in cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and media manipulation, reflecting a broader trend in modern conflicts where information warfare plays a pivotal role.
Iran has significantly restricted internet access, aiming to thwart potential Israeli cyberattacks. Since Israel’s airstrike and Iran’s missiles attack on June 13, Iran has experienced widespread internet slowdowns and outages, with complete disconnect from the global internet on Tuesday night. The move, described by Iranian officials as a “temporary, targeted and controlled” measure, has affected civilian access to essential services, including messaging apps and maps. Major Iranian cellular carriers went offline and popular VPNs have become harder to use.
The government has advised citizens to delete WhatsApp, claiming without any evidence that this U.S.-headquartered instant messaging and calling app is being used for Israeli surveillance. WhatsApp denies these allegations. Telegram, a similar app, was blocked by Iranian authorities few years ago.
While access to the global internet has been blocked, Iran’s internal state-operated network remains accessible, though limited to certain domestic services and websites. However, these too could face an 80% reduction in bandwidth.
It appears that Iranian authorities fear the prospect of internal dissent amid the conflict with Israel. Their near-total internet shutdown is designed to control the flow of information to citizens in order to manage public perception. They believe the shutdown will help suppress internal unrest. The shutdown also aims at redirecting global attention with propaganda.
Iran’s state media highlight strikes on Israel while downplaying Iranian casualties. Iranian state television’s use of AI-generated images as part of war coverage demonstrates how synthetic contents are being weaponized to manipulate public perception. When such visuals are later exposed as fake or unreliable, it undermines credibility of state media, sows confusion in both domestic and international audiences and amplifies information disorder, especially on platforms with limited fact-checking.
Iran’s YouTube promotion of the SEJJIL missile, nicknamed the “Dancing Missile,” exemplifies psychological operations (PSYOPs). The nickname and the dramatic presentation are designed to instill fear in adversary, rally domestic support and attract attention on global platforms.
According to Radware, a US-based cybersecurity firm, Iran-linked hacker groups have been making 30 denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks per day against Israel to disrupt the website operations. In addition, Israel has claimed a 700% surge in Iranian cyberattacks on Israel since the ongoing conflict begin.
Israel, too, has actively engaged in shaping narratives through coordinated disinformation campaigns, particularly via official military channels, supportive journalists, loyal media-outlets and online influencers.
In the wake of recent escalations with Iran, Israeli government spokespeople and the IDF have issued statements that critics say selectively highlight Iranian aggression while downplaying or omitting civilian harm caused by Israeli operations.
Investigations by media watchdogs and independent analysts have also pointed to the use of misleading visuals—such as repurposed or unverified videos claiming to show Israel’s attack on Iran or intercepted threats coming from Iran—to bolster public support and sustain international sympathy.
Additionally, Israeli-aligned accounts have been observed amplifying content that frames Iranian actions in maximalist terms, at times before official confirmation, contributing to a climate of confusion and heightened tension. Such messaging underscores Israel’s active role in the broader disinformation battleground, where controlling perception is as strategically important as controlling territory.
This digital warfare is not isolated to the Middle East. A similar pattern emerged during the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict. In May, following the launch of India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ in response to a gunmen attack on tourists in Indian-administered-Kashmir, both nations engaged in a fierce information battle.
Indian media outlets and social media platforms were flooded with fabricated reports, including false claims of Pakistani military defeats, territorial losses and even the arrest of Pakistan’s army chief. These narratives were often accompanied by recycled footage from other conflicts, such as Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and AI-generated images and deepfakes.
Pakistan, too, was not immune to playing with information. The Pakistan government removed a ban on X shortly before the conflict broke out and experts found it immediately became a source of disinformation, though not on the same scale as in India. Both sides utilized these tactics to manipulate public perception, rally domestic support and demonize the adversary.
The proliferation of disinformation in these conflicts underscores the critical need for media literacy, fact-checking and responsible journalism. In the age of information warfare, the battle for truth is as crucial as any military engagement.
As conflicts increasingly play out on the information battlefield, the international community must prioritize efforts to combat the spread of false narratives and ensure that the public has access to accurate and reliable information.
Beenish Ashraf, a member of the Global Affairs’ Writers Association, regularly covers serious topics such as right to information, digital media, information war, cultural hegemony, human rights, and humanitarian crises.
OpEd Column Syndication 