The political deputy to the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards [IRG], Brigadier General Yadollah Javani stressed that the unveiling of the Khorramshahr-4 missile sends a firm message to the United States: “Iran will not relinquish its military power, regardless of diplomatic negotiations.”
Javani emphasized that Iran “will not retreat from its positions and does not seek war,” while cautioning that any “mistake by the enemy will be met with a strong response.”
He added that Iran’s negotiating team approaches talks “with full confidence, relying on Iran’s strength and military capabilities.” Affirming that “The US has “returned to negotiations humbled,” noting that Iran’s approach remains rooted in “power and deterrence, not concession or weakness.”
Touching on the strategic importance of Iran’s missile program, Javani stated that the Khorramshahr-4 missile possesses significant destructive capacity. He stressed that adversaries must take this capability seriously and recognize the consequences of underestimating it.
Javani pointed out that ongoing Western efforts to bring Iran’s missile development into negotiations are driven by their acknowledgment of Iran’s high level of deterrence.
The IRG Aerospace Force officially inducted the Khorramshahr-4 into service at one of Iran’s “missile cities,” describing it as among the country’s most advanced hypersonic ballistic missiles.
Javani further warned that any military aggression against Iran would escalate into a regional conflict, adding that US power is diminishing. A miscalculation by Iran’s enemies, he said, “would be their last mistake in the region.”
He reaffirmed that Iran has proven to be “the party most committed to regional security,” and that enhancing this security is a core priority for Tehran. “We have sent clear messages to actors outside the region that igniting fire here will burn them as well,” he said.
In a related development, Javani noted that the recent dispatching of a drone toward a US aircraft carrier demonstrated Iran’s ability to monitor all US naval activity in the region. He stressed that Iran depends entirely on its own defense capabilities and that its “hand is full” in this regard.
Javani also highlighted the importance of Iran’s cooperative relations with Russia and China, as both countries understand that US movements in the region also pose challenges to their own strategic interests.
Jeffrey Epstein was far more than a disgraced pervert operating a sex-trafficking ring for the global elite; newly unsealed federal documents suggest he was a high-level broker working tirelessly to ensure “Israeli” supremacy across the Middle East. According to Anadolu Agency, a declassified FBI report citing a confidential intelligence source indicates that federal investigators became "convinced" Epstein was an “Israeli” operative trained under former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. These records, part of a massive 3-million-page release by the Justice Department in early 2026, portray Epstein as a man who leveraged his access to the highest echelons of American power to install loyalists to “Israel” while aggressively sabotaging its regional rivals.
Strategizing the White House: The Bolton Maneuver
Evidence from the leaked files highlights Epstein’s role in orchestrating a network of hardline officials within the first Trump administration to guarantee a pro-“Israel” and anti-Iran foreign policy. For instance, The Guardian reported that Epstein actively lobbied for the appointment of John Bolton to a senior national security role, viewing the hawkish diplomat as a "loyalist" whose aggressive posture toward Tehran mirrored his own geopolitical objectives. Although Bolton was initially passed over for the Secretary of State position, the documents show that Epstein continued to use his influence with figures like Steve Bannon and the Trump transition team to keep Bolton "in the mix." This persistence eventually led to Bolton’s 2018 appointment as National Security Adviser.
Shadow Diplomacy: Cyber Weapons and Arab Alliances
The documents further detail how Epstein functioned as a clandestine bridge between “Israeli” leadership and the monarchies of the Arab world, facilitating defense and surveillance deals years before official diplomatic ties were established. Notably, the European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights reports that Epstein acted as a central intermediary for Ehud Barak, arranging secret meetings with Emirati elites to secure investments for “Israeli” military technology firms. These interactions reportedly included channeling funds to Carbyne, a cybersecurity company with deep ties to the elite Signal Intelligence Unit 8200. As a result, “Israeli” monitoring tools were effectively embedded into the infrastructure of Gulf nations.
The Anti-Iran Campaign: Sabotaging Regional Diplomacy
Beyond personnel and technology, Epstein’s correspondence reveals a relentless campaign to dismantle any potential diplomatic thaw between the United States and Iran. For example, Jacobin reported on emails from 2018 in which Epstein expressed visceral opposition to any "real deal" with Tehran. He coached Steve Bannon on hawkish media talking points and advocated for military pressure to protect “Israeli” interests. Epstein’s "briefing materials," sent to associates like Larry Summers, consistently characterized the Iranian government as an existential threat requiring a permanent military solution. This approach underscores his dedication to a regional order where “Israel” remains the undisputed hegemon.
Banking on Hegemony: The Rothschild Connection
Financial records included in the release also point to a multi-million dollar partnership between Epstein and the French-“Israeli” branch of the Rothschild banking dynasty, which was aimed at resolving legal disputes with American authorities. Specifically, Anadolu Agency reported that Epstein signed a $25 million "risk analysis" agreement with the Edmond de Rothschild Group in 2015—a deal signed by Baroness Ariane de Rothschild just years after Epstein’s initial sex crime conviction. This partnership later extended into high-stakes diplomacy, with Epstein allegedly advising the Baroness and Ehud Barak on how to leverage Rothschild capital to fund "offensive cyber" ventures serving the strategic interests of the “Israeli” state.
Elite Impunity and the Backdoor to Power
The unsealed files provide a chilling look at the impunity of the Western elite, revealing how a convicted predator could maintain a "super secure" rear entrance to his Manhattan home specifically for sessions with presidential advisers. According to The Guardian, Steve Bannon sought this hidden access to avoid surveillance while he and Epstein strategized over the removal of federal officials and the advancement of right-wing movements across Europe. This level of access allowed Epstein to function not merely as a socialite, but as a shadow diplomat whose primary loyalty appears to have been the advancement of “Israeli” geopolitical dominance—even at the expense of regional stability.
A Legacy of Unprosecuted Influence
The revelations surrounding Epstein’s ties to “Israeli” intelligence and his influence over White House personnel suggest that the full scope of his activities remains largely unprosecuted. Moving forward, as federal investigators continue to scrutinize the handling of classified materials by his former associates, these documents provide a roadmap of how private interests and foreign operatives can successfully architect American foreign policy from the shadows.
Imam Hussain’s slogan on the Day of Ashura at the Battle of Karbala was Heyhāt Menna Zella: “Never shall we accept subjugation”.
He refused to surrender or be humiliated facing a tyrant.
With America’s escalating threats to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran, how will Tehran respond?
Is it ready for another conflict with the US and Israel following three recent attacks?
Could it be a showdown between US exceptionalism and Iran’s firm defiance, playing out like a tense geopolitical poker game where military threats, nuclear talks, and imperial ambitions intersect?
As the region teeters on the brink, there is real risk of a new conflict.
Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, numerous US attempts to overthrow the Islamic government have failed.
Another US aggression could easily backfire, as most Iranians reject foreign meddling.
Last month’s attempt through violent riots not only failed to bring down the government, it actually brought Iranians together against outside interference, boosting their sense of patriotism.
One thing is certain: the idea of Iran collapsing, as some US and Israeli hardliners fantasize, is wishful thinking.
With its constitution, powerful security forces, and a system of rule by the jurist-consult, Iran’s system is based on solid foundations.
Zionist Israel may draw the US into a direct military conflict with Iran but it will not achieve its goal.
Its military commanders will not be deceived again by the US as they were last June.
Amid planned US-Iran talks in Oman, Israel struck.
Why is Iran targeted?
It isn’t targeted because it threatens global peace or is a pariah state like the zionist entity.
Iran refuses to submit to US-zionist diktats.
At the core is the struggle for a free Palestine, highlighting how US–Israeli influence works to silence any force that dares to challenge their dominance.
Iran’s real “crime” is standing in solidarity with the Palestinians and supporting the “axis of resistance” to confront US-Israeli aggression.
This goes beyond geopolitics; it’s about defiance, courage, and the ongoing struggle for justice in a post-colonial world. The so-called rules-based world is really just a carefully choregraphed myth rooted in colonial domination, economic control, and selective justice.
From the Caribbean to Palestine, from global financial systems to media narrative shaped by zionism, the empire keeps finding new ways to tighten its grip.
While prattling about democracy and human rights, these concepts are not built on justice, but hypocrisy.
For more than a century, the colonial-imposed order has thrived on impunity, militarism, and exceptionalism with no accountability.
This so-called rules-based world is now in complete disarray.
As tensions rise in Washington and Tel Aviv, more Americans are pushing back against the notion of an endless Trump–Netanyahu-led conflict with Iran.
Resistance to these plots is gaining momentum.
With the US fleet deployed near the Persian Gulf, concern about a regional crisis is growing.
It is upto the American people to stop this madness.
For 47 years, the Iranian people have endured relentless pressure from US-led sanctions, cyberattacks, covert operations, propaganda, assassinations, and economic warfare.
These attempts have failed to achieve their abjective and only deepened the suffering of Iranians.
This challenges the zionist narrative that casts Tehran as the culprit while hiding the broader imperial agenda of regime change, resource exploitation, and regional dominance.
If there’s genuine concern for the Iranian people, the solution isn’t more sanctions or sabotage but dismantling the machinery of imperial aggression and the military-industrial complex.
There is no evidence for Trump’s assertion that he destroyed Iran’s nuclear program last June.
Many intelligence agencies disput his claim.
Any push for regime change will backfire on the perpetrators.
The lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan should be a clear reminder: Iran is not Iraq, Afghanistan, or Venezuela.
During the 12-day war last June, US intelligence reported that just 500 Iranian missiles managed to penetrate Israel’s defenses.
Even though they were older models like the Fattah, Sijil, and Khaybar, they struck their targets with precision, inflicting much damage on Israel’s defense systems.
This eventually forced Netanyahu, through Qatar, to seek a ceasefire.
There is a long history of US deceipt.
In July 2015, Iran signed the JCPOA with the P5+1 group of countries.
In return for limiting its nuclear enrichment, the western countries agreed to lift sanctions.
From day one, the west, especially the US violated the terms of the JCPOA.
In May 2018, Trump even walked away from it.
While demonstrating strategic patience, Iran’s spiritual and political leaders steered clear of conflict and skillfully navigated potential traps.
Iran is fully prepared to confront any challenge its enemies may throw at it.
With help from the Almighty, Iran’s missiles will surprise the US and Israel.
Aware of this, millions of Israelis have fled the zionist entity already.
The US-zionist imposed war would devastate Israeli economy, cause immense infrastructure damage and render the entity unlivable.
The Rahbar, Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said that while Iran does not want war, if it is attacked, it will respond with full force and the war will spread to the entire region.
US and Israel, beware. You have been warned.
Trump had better negotiate with Iran in earnest, and most importantly, abide by the promises.
This may be a tall order but Iran is prepared to go the extra mile for peace.
We will find out within the next day or so which way the issue will go.
TEHRAN, (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met and held talks with his Omani counterpart Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi in the Omani capital of Muscat ahead of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged their views on bilateral ties, the latest regional and international issues, including nuclear talks between Iran and the United States.
Referring to Iran’s approach of using diplomacy to safeguard national interests, Araghchi emphasized full readiness to defend the country’s sovereignty and national security against any excessive demands or adventurism.
The Omani Foreign Minister, praising the good faith, responsibility, and seriousness of the Islamic Republic of Iran in diplomatic processes, and noting the commitment of all regional countries to prevent any escalation of tensions, expressed hope that this round of talks, with goodwill and timely action from all parties, would pave the way for a sustainable understanding between Iran and the United States.
During the meeting, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s viewpoints and proposals regarding negotiation topics, demands, and considerations were presented.
Heading an Iranian diplomatic delegation, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Tehran for Muscat on Thursday night to hold nuclear talks with the United States on Friday.
Mojtaba Ferdosipour, head of Iran's Interests Section in Egypt
The head of Iran's Interests Section in Egypt has emphasized that the negotiations between Tehran and Washington in Oman will focus solely on the nuclear issue.
Mojtaba Ferdosipour made the remarks in an interview with the Saudi news outlet al-Hadath on Friday, before Iranian and American officials hold talks in the Omani capital of Muscat following weeks of escalating tensions caused by the US war rhetoric against Iran.
“It has been repeatedly announced by Iran, the foreign minister and the Supreme National Security Council that the only issue on the table in today's talks is the nuclear issue,” he said.
"Of course, during the nuclear talks, various issues and proposals may be discussed."
Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is heading the Iranian delegation for the negotiations, met with his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi.
During the meeting, Araghchi referred to the Islamic Republic’s approach of using diplomacy to secure national interests.
He also underlined Iran’s full readiness to defend the country’s sovereignty and national security against any excessive demands or adventurism.
He further expressed appreciation for Oman's hosting and facilitating the Iran-US nuclear talks.
The negotiations came at a time when the region is once again bracing for another potential military confrontation after the United States deployed air and naval forces to the region and threatened to attack the Islamic Republic.
Iranian officials have warned that any US attack would prompt an immediate response and could ignite a regional war.
Last year, Iran and the US held five rounds of Oman-mediated indirect negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program before the Israeli regime derailed the diplomatic efforts by launching a war of aggression against the Islamic Republic.
More than a week into the war, the United States joined the terrorist assault and bombed Iran's nuclear facilities.
The illegal US-Israeli aggression killed at least 1,064 people in Iran, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, between June 13 and 27, 2025.
TEHRAN, (MNA) – The new round of indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington kicked off in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Friday. Here you can find the latest updates.
Moments ago
2026-02-06 11:48
Omani FM, Steve Witkoff held consultations in Muscat
Minutes after Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi met with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Busaidi, Steve Witkoff, the US President’s special envoy, began discussions with the top Omani diplomat.
5 min
2026-02-06 11:43
Political analyst Seyed Reza Sadr al-Hosseini:
Iran enters negotiations with a clear plan and defined framework, with any concessions on enrichment to be gradual and balanced.
The primary focus of negotiators is the lifting of imposed sanctions on the Iranian people.
A specialized technical advisory team supports the lead negotiator, providing expert guidance and consultation throughout the talks.
28 min
2026-02-06 11:19
Iran-US nuclear talks begin in Muscat
The Iran-US nuclear negotiations have officially started in Muscat, chaired by Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, with Oman acting as mediator.
33 min
2026-02-06 11:15
An IRIB correspondent reporting from Muscat says that today's talks are framed around the nuclear issue and sanctions relief.
In the bilateral meeting between Araghchi and the Omani Foreign Minister, Iran’s considerations and demands were conveyed, she said.
41 min
2026-02-06 11:07
Details of Iran, Oman FMs meeting
In a meeting with his Omani counterpart in Muscat on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned against any US excessive demands.
Referring to Iran’s approach of using diplomacy to safeguard national interests, Araghchi emphasized full readiness to defend the country’s sovereignty and national security against any excessive demands or acts of adventurism.
The Omani Foreign Minister, for his part, praised the good faith, responsibility, and seriousness of the Islamic Republic of Iran in diplomatic processes, noting the commitment of all regional countries to prevent any escalation of tensions.
The top Omani diplomat expressed hope that this round of talks, with goodwill and timely action from all parties, would pave the way for a sustainable understanding between Iran and the United States.
During the meeting, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s viewpoints and proposals regarding negotiation topics, demands, and considerations were presented.
1 hr
2026-02-06 10:11
Araghchi meets with Omani foreign minister
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart before the talks to discuss the most important bilateral, regional, and international issues.
In this meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral and regional matters, including Iran-US nuclear negotiations.
1 hr
2026-02-06 10:07
Iranian negotiating delegation in Muscat
1 hr
2026-02-06 10:02
Iranian delegation departs for venue of talks
1 hr
2026-02-06 09:53
Timing of talks
The indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States in Muscat are set to start later than initially planned, taking place between 10 and 11 a.m. Tehran Time, under the mediation of Oman.
According to Mehr News Agency, the talks focus on Iran’s nuclear dossier and are scheduled for Friday, February 6.
The Iranian negotiating team largely includes the negotiators in previous rounds, with the addition of Hamid Ghanbari, Deputy for Economic Diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry, joining the delegation.
On the US side, Jared Kushner has been added to the negotiating team.
The Muscat talks are part of ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing nuclear issues and potentially reducing tensions between Tehran and Washington.
The release on bail of Erfan Soltani, an Iranian national detained during recent riots in the country, on Sunday did more than conclude a domestic legal episode.
It also dismantled a carefully constructed and extremely flawed international narrative that, for weeks, had weaponized misinformation to portray his “execution” as an imminent certainty.
In mid-January 2026, a wave of alarming headlines rippled across global media, claiming without evidence that Iran was preparing to execute a young man named Erfan Soltani.
Major outlets – including the BBC, Euronews, The Guardian, and Sky News – reported his supposed “sentence” as fact, citing scandalous Western-based “human rights groups,” and triggering diplomatic warnings and an avalanche of political reactions.
“Iran set to execute protester days after arrest as Tehran speeds up death sentences,” declared Euronews. ABC News ran with: “Relative speaks out on plight of arrested Iranian protester Erfan Soltani, who had faced execution.” The Hill asked: “Who is Erfan Soltani, Iranian protester Trump mentioned facing execution?”
As the initial fog of propaganda began to lift, the narrative quietly shifted. The Guardian, which had earlier warned of Soltani’s “imminent execution,” later revised its framing: “Execution of condemned Iranian protester postponed, family told.” The BBC followed suit with: “Who is Erfan Soltani, Iranian protester who reportedly had execution postponed?”
The storyline consistently casts Iran’s judiciary as carrying out summary executions – a familiar script deployed in previous cycles of engineered unrest.
Yet on February 1, Soltani was released on bail. His case remains open, but without any death sentence outcome, Iranian judicial authorities had already signaled weeks earlier.
For charges against him, the provision of execution does not exist; they had made it clear.
The stark gap between the initial global coverage and the eventual reality revealed more than a routine correction. It exposed a complex ecosystem in which unverified activist claims, geopolitical pressure, and coordinated digital disinformation converged to shape a predetermined narrative against the Islamic Republic.
This investigation traces how the story was constructed, amplified, and sustained amid foreign-backed riots across Iran. It focuses in particular on the systematic manipulation of Wikipedia by a network of accounts linked to the exiled Mujahedin-e Khalq (MKO) cult, designated as a terrorist organization.
It also shows how contemporary information warfare is waged not only through headlines and breaking news, but through the quiet, strategic curation of what is presented as the world’s most trusted knowledge repository.
How a legal case became a global human rights flashpoint
The international narrative surrounding Soltani ignited with striking speed and uniformity in the second week of January 2026, while riots and terrorism were at their peak across Iran.
The initial spark did not originate in mainstream newsrooms, but rather from organizations operating outside Iran. Among the first to circulate claims were the Norway-based, Kurdish-focused Hengaw Organization for Human Rights and the Iran Human Rights (IHR) group.
Both organizations reported that Soltani had been arrested, tried, and sentenced to death within an extraordinarily compressed timeframe – allegedly in a matter of days. These assertions were disseminated through their own platforms and amplified across social media.
Hengaw and IHR have a documented record of promoting anti-Iranian narratives and of repeatedly circulating unverified or later-debunked claims in high-profile cases, including those of Armita Geravand and Mahsa Amini.
Their statements contained severe allegations: that Soltani had been denied access to legal counsel, informed of a death sentence almost immediately after his arrest, and was facing imminent execution.
These claims were framed within a broader warning that Iran was embarking on a new wave of summary executions aimed at suppressing the “protest movement.”
The framing was particularly effective from their standpoint. It cast Soltani not as an individual defendant in an ongoing legal process, but as an early signal of an escalated phase of state repression.
Presented under the moral authority of human rights reporting, the narrative offered international media outlets a ready-made, emotionally charged storyline – one that aligned seamlessly with prevailing coverage of unrest and political tension in Iran.
Western media machine and the rush to judgment
Major Western media outlets swiftly amplified these unsubstantiated claims, often with little independent verification of the underlying judicial details.
Headlines quickly shifted from cautious phrasing to declarative assertions presented as fact. The Independent, for example, ran a story titled, “Iran set to execute first protester after ‘no trial and no due process’,” unequivocally treating the allegations as established reality.
The Guardian’s live coverage included an entry stating, “Execution of condemned Iranian protester postponed, family told,” reinforcing the impression that an execution date had already been set and merely delayed.
Broadcast and digital video platforms adopted even more sensational framing. On YouTube, outlets such as NewsX Live ran segments headlined: “Iran Protests Day 17: Iran Set to Execute Protester Erfan Soltani (26) After Fast-Tracked Trial.”
Across media outlets, the narrative structure was remarkably uniform: an innocent protester, a sham judicial process, and an impending state-sanctioned killing.
This coverage was frequently interwoven with statements from Western politicians, most notably reports that US President Donald Trump had warned his administration would take “strong action” should such executions proceed.
The result was a self-reinforcing feedback loop. Media reports appeared to justify political pressure, while political statements in turn validated and amplified the media’s gravest framing.
On social media, the story rapidly achieved viral status under hashtags such as #ErfanSoltani, where it was often stripped of nuance and circulated as categorical proof of Iranian “barbarity.”
At this stage, the narrative’s momentum became self-sustaining. The sheer volume of coverage by respected international outlets lent it an air of inevitability, crowding out a critical component: the perspective of Iran’s judiciary and state institutions.
Iranian counterpoint: Legal clarifications and a different frame
At the same time, from the earliest moments of the international media surge around this particular case, Iranian officials issued firm and detailed denials, grounded in logic.
The Judiciary Media Center described the reports as a coordinated rumor campaign driven by what it termed “media supporters of street terrorists.” Beyond dismissing the allegations, authorities sought to ground their response in legal specifics.
Officials stated that Soltani was arrested on January 10, 2026, during the deadly foreign-backed riots on Bahar Street in Karaj, and charged with “gathering and colluding against the country’s internal security” and “propaganda activities against the state.”
Crucially, they emphasized that these charges – under Iran’s Islamic Penal Code – carry penalties of imprisonment, not execution.
Authorities further stated unequivocally that no death sentence had been issued and that no final verdict had been reached in Soltani’s case, dismissing the media trial.
Some international wire services, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), as well as outlets such as Euronews and CBS News, did report these denials, resulting in a fragmented media landscape of competing claims.
However, these reports often appeared as secondary updates or were framed with distancing language – “Iran claims” or “Iran denies” – subtly casting doubt on the official statements while preserving the primacy of the original allegations.
As a result, the Iranian position struggled to gain equal footing. It was presented less as a substantive legal clarification and more as a predictable rebuttal from an accused state.
This imbalance allowed the execution narrative to remain the dominant global understanding of the case for weeks, despite the absence of any confirmed death sentence.
Disinformation article by Norway-based Hengaw, on whose lies most Western media articles are based
Digital battleground: Wikipedia’s vulnerability to coordinated influence
While the media storm raged with a familiar viciousness, a more subtle and insidious battle unfolded on Wikipedia – a platform whose content shapes the work of most Western journalists, researchers, and public perception.
Wikipedia’s open-editing model, a cornerstone of its success, also makes it uniquely vulnerable to coordinated influence campaigns orchestrated by well-resourced political actors.
The case of Soltani did not arise in isolation on the platform; rather, it was planted into a digital landscape already carefully cultivated by partisan forces.
For years, Wikipedia administrators have waged a silent war against a network of user accounts dedicated to advancing the agenda of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MKO) terror cult.
This cult, which fought alongside Saddam Hussein during the Holy Defense War in the 1980s and is designated a terrorist group by Iran, has long sought international legitimacy and crafted a narrative of popular resistance against the Iranian government.
Its digital strategy includes systematic infiltration of Wikipedia to whitewash its own controversial history and amplify content critical of the Islamic Republic.
From whitewashing to newsjacking: Soltani case as a target
The emergence in early January 2026 of a new Wikipedia user, PatriceON, exemplifies how this disinformation apparatus exploits breaking news to shape and distort narratives.
Created in July 2025, the account initially gained credibility through minor, low-profile edits before dramatically ramping up activity at the exact moment the Soltani story broke internationally.
PatriceON focused intensively on creating and editing biographies of individuals portrayed as “victims” of unrest, applying a formulaic narrative that emphasized their innocence and state brutality. The account’s sources consistently included exile media outlets and the same human rights groups driving the Soltani narrative.
When the Soltani story erupted, accounts like PatriceON were ready to embed it into Wikipedia’s permanent record with a dual purpose: to frame Soltani’s case through the now-debunked execution narrative, thereby enshrining it as historical fact, and to connect this content within a broader web of articles depicting systemic state violence.
This activity produces a self-referential information loop. For example, an article on “Human rights in Iran” cites the Soltani case, which in turn relies on sources from the very same partisan entities. This cycle creates an illusion of independent verification, effectively “source-washing” activist claims into encyclopedic knowledge.
Wikipedia's investigation into MKO-affiliated user accounts
Unmasking the network: A persistent playbook of deception
The tactics employed by PatriceON were far from novel, following a well-established playbook honed by a network of earlier accounts linked to MKO advocacy.
Wikipedia’s volunteer administrators have repeatedly documented this exact modus operandi across accounts such as Stefka Bulgaria, ParadaJulio, and TheDreamBoat – created between late 2016 and 2017 and eventually exposed and blocked in 2023.
Each account began with a “gnoming” phase, making hundreds of benign edits to non-controversial topics to build edit counts, avoid suspicion, and gain editorial privileges.
Once legitimacy was established, they abruptly pivoted to intense editing of articles on Iranian politics – whitewashing the MKO and promoting opposition biographies.
The sophistication and coordination of this network were revealed through behavioral forensics, including distinctive technical quirks like consistent template misuse that acted as a digital fingerprint. In one telling incident, a user accidentally pasted part of an external email containing instructions, exposing off-platform direction.
The MKO link was further confirmed when the Stefka Bulgaria account petitioned to remove Wikimedia Commons photos of paid non-Iranian (African) protesters at an MKO rally in Paris, an effort documented by journalists as crowd manipulation.
Wikipedia officials concluded these accounts were part of a “complex and multi-person operation” designed to subvert editorial guidelines and promote a singular viewpoint.
The campaign exhibited persistence; blocking one account was quickly followed by the emergence of another, indicating an organized, long-term strategy rather than sporadic activism.
How Wikipedia and media fuel each other
The interplay between covert Wikipedia editing and mainstream media is symbiotic, often indirect but mutually reinforcing.
Journalists working under tight deadlines frequently rely on Wikipedia for quick background. Articles citing reports from organizations like Hengaw or IHR, framed around an alleged impending execution—reinforce the story’s perceived legitimacy.
Conversely, after major outlets like the BBC or The Guardian publish stories, Wikipedia editors, including those linked to influence networks, swiftly cite these articles as “reliable sources,” leveraging mainstream media’s authority to legitimize the narrative within the encyclopedia.
This creates a closed informational loop: activist claims → media amplification → Wikipedia codification → further media citation.
Though initial sourcing traces back to a handful of partisan actors, the journey through respected media intermediaries obscures this provenance.
In the Soltani case, this feedback loop operated with remarkable speed, cementing the execution narrative as accepted fact well before judicial clarifications could surface.
Examples of Western false narrative retention: CNN first uncritically publishes disinformation as fact, and the BBC sticks to it even after it is officially challenged
Unraveling: Bail and the narrative’s collapse
The factual cornerstone of the entire international narrative collapsed on February 1, 2026, when Soltani was released from Karaj Central Penitentiary on bail of two billion tomans.
His lawyer, Musa Khani, publicly confirmed the release, and Iranian media reported the news straightforwardly. This outcome was irreconcilable with the widely circulated story of a man on death row facing imminent execution.
Some Western outlets, such as Sky News, acknowledged the release but continued to frame it with headlines like “Iranian protester Erfan Soltani released after death sentence threat,” perpetuating the discredited execution claim as a foundational part of the story.
The contrast was stark: a judiciary accused of summary executions had, in reality, processed a bail application and released the defendant pending trial, standard procedure in legal systems worldwide.
Soltani’s own mother revealed she first learned of the alleged death sentence not from Iranian authorities, but from the BBC, underscoring how the family became collateral in the international media battle.
Aftermath and lingering damage
Despite the resolution, the damage to accurate public understanding was profound. The initial false narrative had already reached global saturation, and diplomatic capital had been expended.
The hashtag #ErfanSoltani remained indelibly linked to “state execution” within the digital ecosystem of social media. On Wikipedia, correcting the record became a difficult and contested process.
Editors seeking to update Soltani’s entry to reflect the bail release faced resistance from those invested in maintaining the earlier narrative. The MKO-linked networks, despite periodic disruptions, showed resilience, the blocking of PatriceON in January 2026 being merely one episode in an ongoing campaign.
Their strategy is long-term and systemic. It does not hinge on winning a single edit battle over Soltani’s case but on persistently shaping hundreds of articles to construct an overarching meta-narrative of Iranian illegitimacy and oppression, into which individual cases like Soltani’s are seamlessly woven as examples.
The protest article as a propaganda platform
The systemic nature of this influence campaign is perhaps most starkly revealed in the ongoing manipulation of Wikipedia’s main article covering the 2025-2026 Iranian protests-turned-riots.
Far from serving as a neutral encyclopedic record, this entry functions as a curated propaganda platform, actively shaped by a coalition of interest groups – including MKO advocates, monarchist partisans, and pro-Israeli editors.
Its foundation is critically compromised by heavy reliance on sources such as the Saudi-funded, Israeli-linked outlet Iran International – a propaganda channel widely documented as a disinformation platform. Yet, its own Wikipedia article is systematically whitewashed by the very same network of editors who promote its narratives.
The result is a narrative rife with blatant falsehoods presented as fact: the article claims an unverified figure of “5 million protesters,” despite independent analysis indicating that, at the peak of the unrest on January 8 and 9, fewer than 20,000 people were on the streets.
It elevates the Israeli-aligned Reza Pahlavi as a principal leader of the “protests” and inflates casualty counts by an order of magnitude, attributing all deaths solely to state forces.
This curated version deliberately omits documented counter-evidence, including forensic proof of terrorist infiltration and shootings, video footage of armed violence against police, extensive damage to infrastructure, and the scale of pro-government counter-demonstrations.
Instead of portraying the complex on-the-ground reality, the article foregrounds imagery from diaspora monarchist rallies in Western capitals, effectively substituting actual events with an externally manufactured political narrative.
This distortion epitomizes the ultimate goal of the coordinated campaign: to entrench a partisan version of history within the world’s most trusted knowledge repository.
