The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office officially denied widespread rumors of Benjamin Netanyahu’s death on Sunday, dismissing circulating claims as “fake news.” In a statement to the Anadolu Agency, the office confirmed the prime minister is “fine” and unharmed following recent regional escalations.
The official Israeli confirmation comes hours after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a threatening statement on its Sepah News website, which was subsequently echoed by the state-run IRNA. The IRGC vowed to “continue to pursue and kill” Netanyahu “with full force” if he is “still alive,” capitalizing on intense online speculation regarding his physical status.
Speculation surrounding Netanyahu’s safety surged across social media platforms over the weekend. The rumors were largely fueled by a viral, allegedly AI-generated video that depicted the prime minister with “six fingers,” prompting immediate questions about his whereabouts amidst ongoing Iranian missile strikes directed at Israeli targets.
The IRGC’s Sunday statement specifically referred to Netanyahu as a “child-killing criminal.” This rhetoric is a direct reference to the February 28 joint United States-Israel military strikes that killed Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with his daughter, son-in-law, and 14-month-old granddaughter. The escalating war of words occurs against a backdrop of historic regional volatility, echoing the intense domestic pressures seen during the recent Tel Aviv rally.
The Associated Press confirmed the publication of the IRGC’s statement on Sunday. The exchange unfolds as Iran continues launching waves of retaliatory missile attacks against Israeli and United States targets across the Middle East, with Washington threatening unprecedented military force if the strikes do not cease.