On Telegram, Lebanese Hizbullah's U.S.-Designated Al-Manar TV And Media Outlets Affiliated With Iran-Backed Militias Falsely Claim That Israeli Embassy In Bahrain Was Set On Fire

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Media outlets affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Lebanese Hizbullah (LH) have falsely reported on Telegram that protesters had set fire to the Israeli Embassy in Bahrain. The false reports – which could serve to incite further violence – came as Israel evacuated staff from embassies in Jordan, Bahrain, and Morocco.[1] The U.S. and Israeli embassies in Argentina also temporarily evacuated staff on October 18 after receiving what appeared to be bomb threats.[2]

The "Unit 10,000" Telegram channel, which is affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq, reported in a post on October 20 that "The heroes of Bahrain set fire to the Zionist embassy in Manama."[3] The post included an old video showing Bahraini protesters setting fire to a local police station during protests in 2012.[4]

Another Telegram channel affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq, "Fakhr Al-Shi'a" (Shi'ite pride), shared the same video in a post on the same day, writing: "Urgent: The Israeli Embassy in the Bahraini capital Manama set on fire."[5]

"The Young Men of the Axis of Resistance" Telegram channel similarly shared the same post, verbatim, as the Fakhr Al-Shi'a Telegram channel.[6]

The U.S.-designated Al-Manar TV, which broadcasts from Beirut, is a media arm of LH. It also publicized the fake incident. In a post falsely attributing the reporting to Israeli media, it wrote: "The media of the enemy: an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Manama and an attempt to set in on fire."[7]