As the United States launched fresh strikes on Iran over the Strait of Hormuz deadlock, a video of the purported death of an Iranian leader live on TV has gone viral on American social media. But the reality of the video is not as straightforward as the viral posts claim.
Crucially, none of the Iranian state media reported the death of the former parliamentarian from Iran’s northwestern province. The video was picked up by Iran’s opposition news channel, Tousi TV. Iran International, a London-based outlet for Iranian news, also carried the news, citing Tousi. Nonetheless, the video has gone viral, with the claim that Nemat Elhami was allegedly criticizing the US while he suffered the cardiac arrest.
The video seems to have originated on Sunday, August 30. It claims to show the purported death of Nemat Elhami live on stage during a rally on Saturday (August 29).
Following Tuesday’s US strikes that CENTCOM announced, it found renewed circulation along with the claim that the death happened during the US strikes earlier Tuesday. No independent news outlet other than Tousi TV and Iran International confirmed the death, even as the video remains viral . The video is massively viral. However, the claims are misleading. There is also no evidence to suggest that the Iranian leader was criticizing the US in his speech when he suffered the heart attack.
Additionally, the video surfaced more than 36 hours before the US struck the Bandar Abbas region.
