Investigation links propaganda network to operators in India and Afghanistan with aim of fueling regional distrust
Iranians exercise at Pardisan Park, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 25, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS
A coordinated disinformation operation targeting Pakistan has been uncovered, involving fake Iranian identities and accounts run from India and Afghanistan.
The campaign aimed to create a narrative against Pakistan, portraying the country as aligned with Western and anti-Iran agendas. The operation is said to have started via ghost accounts such as INN Iran News And Iranian television.
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Investigations found that the accounts creating the narrative were run from India, while those amplifying the propaganda were run from Afghanistan. Artificial Iranian responses against Pakistan have spread through Afghan-run accounts, with the network used as a proliferator to increase its reach.
The propaganda campaign is a strategic operation in stages according to the model: Initiator, Proliferator, Amplifier. The false narratives included claims that Pakistan transported oil for the United States, which were used to justify propaganda.
The operation aims to undermine Pakistan’s role in regional peace efforts and create division and distrust in the Muslim world. The lead accounts behind the campaign came from India, which handled narrative control and strategic direction, with Times of Iran News identified as a central hub.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain high, with both sides engaged 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 the allegations and calls Pakistani strikes a violation of its sovereignty. The cycle of retaliatory airstrikes, border bombings and militant attacks has intensified over the past year, causing casualties, infrastructure damage and trade disruptions, 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 exposure of the campaign demonstrates Pakistan’s vigilance 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 risk of regional spillover. Iran is already at war with the United States and Israel as tensions between the two countries have sharply escalated, with Iran vowing to retaliate for Israeli strikes on key industrial and nuclear sites, which it says have been 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 in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian missile attacks have targeted Israeli and Gulf facilities, sparking warnings of further escalation.
Tehran has expressed concern over rising cross-border tensions and its impact on trade, security and the movement of refugees. Iran’s strategic interest lies in preventing instability that could embolden militant groups near its eastern border, while maintaining constructive ties with Islamabad and Kabul to safeguard regional connectivity and economic projects.
