After Israel launched an unprecedented bombing marketing campaign in opposition to Iran in June 2025, a clip of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was shared in posts falsely claiming it confirmed him saying the subsequent step can be to strip Pakistan of its nuclear arsenal. The clip, taken from an interview performed in 2011, omits Netanyahu clarifying that nuclear weapons shouldn’t be allowed to fall into the arms of the Taliban within the occasion of a “takeover of Pakistan”.
“After Iran is Pakistan, Netanyahu’s menace,” reads the Urdu-language caption of a video shared on Fb on June 14, 2025.
The clip, shared a day after Israel launched a bombing marketing campaign in Iran that killed prime army commanders and scientists linked to its nuclear programme, exhibits Netanyahu being interviewed.
“I mentioned that the best mission that we now have is to stop a militant Islamic regime from assembly up with nuclear weapons or from nuclear weapons assembly up with a militant Islamic regime,” Netanyahu says within the clip.
He then seems so as to add: “The primary known as Iran. The second known as Pakistan. As a result of if these radical regimes have nuclear weapons, they won’t obey the principles which were obeyed within the final nearly seven a long time.”
Israel mentioned the intention of its bombing marketing campaign in Iran was to maintain the Islamic republic from creating an atomic weapon — an ambition Tehran has constantly denied (archived hyperlink). Iran responded with ballistic missile assaults on Israeli cities.
Pakistan, which is the one Islamic nation with nuclear weapons, “strongly condemned” the Israeli strikes on its neighbour Iran (archived hyperlink).
Iran and Israel traded hearth for 12 days earlier than a US-proposed ceasefire introduced the battle to an finish. Tehran says the Israeli marketing campaign killed 1,060 individuals, whereas Israeli officers mentioned the retaliatory Iranian drone and missile barrages killed at the least 28 individuals.
Screenshot of the false Fb publish captured on July 8, 2025, with a pink X added by AFP
The similar clip was additionally shared elsewhere on Fb.
“Inshallah (God keen) Pakistan would be the reason for Israel’s destruction Inshallah,” learn a touch upon one of many posts.
One other mentioned: “Allah will shield Pakistan and Iran.”
The circulating clip, nevertheless, has been misleadingly edited.
Interview from 2011
A reverse picture search on Google utilizing keyframes from the falsely shared clip led to the full interview, which was posted on the YouTube channel of Israeli broadcaster Channel 2 on March 31, 2011 (archived hyperlink).
The video is titled, “A World View Interview with Benjamin Netanyahu”.
“Channel 2 and YouTube convey you a particular interview with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, during which residents ask questions in regards to the peace course of, unrest within the Center East, and extra,” reads its description.
Screenshot comparability of the falsely shared video (left) and the interview posted on YouTube in March 2011 (proper)
The falsely shared clip has been lifted from its 25:40 mark, after Netanyahu is requested: “What’s the greatest downside going through the subsequent era and what ought to we do to unravel it immediately?” (archived hyperlink).
His response was misleadingly edited to omit a clarification he makes after mentioning Pakistan.
“The primary known as Iran, the second known as Pakistan, or extra particularly a Taliban takeover of Pakistan,” he says.
His full remarks are additionally mirrored in a transcript of the interview obtainable on the official Israel Prime Minister’s Workplace web site (archived hyperlink).
There have been no official studies of Netanyahu issuing any warning or menace in opposition to Pakistan for the reason that begin of the battle with Iran.
AFP has debunked different misinformation associated to the Iran-Israel battle right here.
