New Delhi: Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit has exposed a fresh wave of disinformation targeting the Indian Army Chief.
On March 9, 2026, PIB Fact Check issued a strong alert on X, warning that Pakistani propaganda accounts are circulating a digitally manipulated deepfake video of General Upendra Dwivedi. The fabricated clip falsely attributes a statement to the Army Chief claiming that India, as a strategic ally of Israel, shared the precise location of the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Dena in international waters as part of a new strategic deal.
“Deepfake Video Alert: Pakistani propaganda accounts are sharing a digitally manipulated video of the Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, making false claims that when the Iranian ship crossed the international waters, as Israeli strategic allies, it was our duty to inform Israel about their exact location as a part of our newer strategic deal,” the PIB post read.
It further cautioned: “Beware! This is an #AI-generated deepfake video shared to mislead the public. General Upendra Dwivedi has made NO such statement.”
The manipulated footage is derived from an original, unedited clip of General Dwivedi’s speech at the Raisina Dialogue, edited using artificial intelligence to insert fabricated audio and narrative. Authorities described it as part of an organised propaganda effort to damage India’s international image and sow confusion amid ongoing regional conflicts, including the reported sinking of IRIS Dena by a US submarine in the Indian Ocean.
The government urged citizens and media to verify information from official sources before sharing and reminded platforms of obligations under new IT rules to label AI-generated content and act against misleading material. PIB encouraged reporting suspicious posts via WhatsApp (+91 8799711259) or email ([email protected]).
This incident highlights the growing threat of deepfakes in hybrid warfare and disinformation campaigns.