New Delhi, March 10 (NationPress) The Press Information Bureau's (PIB) Fact Check division has officially dismissed a viral claim circulating on social media that suggested India had shared the location of an Iranian naval ship with Israel. This misinformation reportedly stemmed from an AI-generated video featuring Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, which was widely disseminated by Pakistani propaganda accounts and later reported by a Turkish newspaper.

PIB Fact Check clarified that the Turkish outlet Yeni Safak referenced the manipulated video to assert that India had admitted to sharing the location of the Iranian ship with Israel. However, the government’s fact-checking body emphasized that this assertion was entirely false and misleading.

In a post on X, PIB stated: "Based on an AI video of Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi circulated by Pakistani propaganda accounts, Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak has further claimed that India admitted to sharing the Iranian ship's location with Israel."

The fact-checking unit firmly reiterated that the claims being spread online were fabricated and that the Army chief had made no such statements. They also urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or misleading information.

"The claim is false. Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has not made such a statement. If you encounter dubious content, please send it to our WhatsApp Number +91 8799711259," PIB stated.

Additionally, PIB Fact Check highlighted the ongoing misinformation campaign, revealing that Pakistani propaganda accounts were spreading a digitally altered video, wrongfully attributing statements to the Indian Army Chief.

"These accounts are sharing a digitally manipulated video of General Upendra Dwivedi, falsely claiming that, as Israeli strategic allies, it was our responsibility to inform Israel about the Iranian ship's location when it crossed international waters due to our new strategic agreement. PIB Fact Check warns: This is an AI-generated deepfake video intended to mislead the public. General Upendra Dwivedi has made NO such statements," the agency stated.

In the viral video, the Army Chief is purportedly heard saying: “We are closely monitoring the situation in Iran. Israel is our close ally. The sinking of the Iranian naval ship is indeed unfortunate, but it occurred in international waters. As long as the Iranian ship remained in Indian waters, it was protected; however, once it crossed into international waters, it became our duty to inform Israel of their exact location as part of our new strategic deal. It is incorrect to assume that Iranian naval ships were destroyed within Indian territory. What Israel does in international waters is their concern. We can provide Israel with location or intelligence, but we had no involvement in the Israeli and US joint torpedo attack. That was their operation; it is Iran's conflict, and India is not involved. Our focus remains on Pakistan, and Israel will assist us in achieving that goal. We express our gratitude to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for facilitating our permission to import Russian fuel.”

PIB indicated that the video circulating online had been manipulated using artificial intelligence to falsely attribute controversial statements to General Dwivedi regarding India's supposed role in sharing intelligence with Israel.

To combat this misinformation, PIB Fact Check also released the original, unedited video of the Army Chief's remarks. This footage was sourced from the Raisina Dialogue 2026, where General Dwivedi participated in a discussion with Observer Research Foundation Vice President Harsh V. Pant.

During that event, the Army Chief discussed lessons from Operation Sindoor and the evolving nature of modern warfare. He emphasized India's policy of responding decisively to acts of terrorism and highlighted the necessity for improved coordination and synergy among various defense services and agencies.