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NDTV
8 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Fact Check: US Didn't Use Indian Airspace For Strikes On Iran Nuclear Sites
New Delhi: The Fact Check unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has debunked claims circulating on social media that the US military used Indian airspace to carry out its Operation Midnight Hammer, launched against Iran's nuclear infrastructure. In a post on X on Sunday, the PIB Fact Check unit labelled the assertion as "FAKE" and clarified, "Indian Airspace was NOT used by the United States during Operation Midnight Hammer." Several social media posts alleged that US forces utilised Indian airspace to conduct military strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure. The fact-checking body cited a press briefing by the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, who detailed the alternative routes taken by US aircraft, dismissing the claims as baseless. "Several social media accounts have claimed that Indian Airspace was used by the United States to launch aircraft against Iran during Operation Midnight Hammer. This claim is FAKE. Indian Airspace was NOT used by the United States during Operation Midnight Hammer. During the Press Briefing, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen Dan Caine explained the route used by US aircraft," the Fact Check unit stated in its post on X. Several social media accounts have claimed that Indian Airspace was used by the United States to launch aircrafts against Iran during Operation #MidnightHammer #PIBFactCheck ❌ This claim is FAKE ❌Indian Airspace was NOT used by the United States during Operation… — PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) June 22, 2025 Earlier on Sunday, after the strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, said Operation Midnight Hammer was designed to "severely degrade Iran's nuclear weapons infrastructure". While holding a press briefing at the Pentagon, General Caine presented a detailed map and timeline of the operation, which showed that none of the US aircraft entered the Indian airspace. Detailing the operation, General Caine stated, "At approximately 6:40 PM EST, 2:10 am Iran time, the lead B-2 two dropped GBU 57 MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) weapons on the first of several aim points at Fordow." "As the President stated last night, the remaining bombers then hit their targets as well, with a total of 14 MOPs dropped against two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were struck between 6:40 PM and 7:05 PM EST (2:10 AM local time Iran), with the Tomahawk missiles being the last to strike at Isfahan to ensure we retain the element of surprise throughout the operation," he added. The US military employed "several deception tactics", including decoys, to maintain tactical surprise, he said. "As the Operation Midnight Hammer strike package entered Iranian airspace, the US employed several deception tactics, including decoys, as the 4th and 5th generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface Air missile threats," he added. Further, Caine stated that "at midnight Friday and Saturday morning, a large B2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. As part of the plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the West and into the Pacific as a decoy, a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa." "The main strike package, comprised of seven B2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the East with minimal communications," he added. The operation was executed by US Central Command under the command of General Erik Kurilla. Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said the "very successful" strikes had hit the Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan underground nuclear sites in Iran. Speaking from the White House, Trump announced that America carried out "massive precision" strikes on Iran and warned Tehran of further retaliation if peace was not achieved. Iran condemned the attacks, calling them a violation of international law and vowed to continue its nuclear program. A statement issued by the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) confirmed that early on Sunday morning, Iran's nuclear sites were "subjected to savage aggression--an act in violation of international laws, particularly the NPT."
India.com
10-06-2025
- India.com
Entry ban for Indians in Saudi Arabia during Hajj? Here's the truth behind the viral claim
Saudi Arabia has not placed any new travel restrictions on Indian citizens. Sources connected to the Indian government have confirmed that no such official announcement has been made. On Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs also dismissed reports claiming that Indians were facing travel restrictions to Saudi Arabia. Officials from the ministry explained that the Saudi government has not issued any notice about this. They clarified that during the Hajj season, it's common practice to temporarily pause or limit visas to manage large crowds. These temporary restrictions are lifted once the Hajj pilgrimage is over. 'This CLAIM is FALSE. FACT: The Saudi Government has not issued any notification on this matter. As a matter of practice, during the Haj season, there are temporary restrictions on short term visas to avoid overcrowding during this season, which end with the conclusion of Haj,' the MEA's official FactCheck account posted on X. Government sources had made it clear that Saudi Arabia's move to temporarily halt Umrah, business, and family visit visas for 14 countries, including India, from April to June 2025, was to manage the massive Haj crowds and ensure safety. 'The suspension is a result of logistical, not political, compulsions as restrictions have been imposed on granting short-term visas to avoid overcrowding during the Haj season,' said an official. Saudi authorities, which strictly controls Haj, have stated that multiple-entry visas were being misused. Some travellers entered the country on long-term visas but remained illegally for work or performed Haj without proper authorization. Saudi Arabia has been known to take such steps during the Hajj season every year due to security and administrative reasons. This year, these restrictions are expected to remain in effect until June 30.
Hans India
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
MEA slams 'fake' reports on Saudi visa issue, says temporary restrictions on short term visas during Haj
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday termed media reports of Saudi Arabia suspending issuance of block work visas for citizens from 14 countries, including India, as "fake", asserting that the Saudi government has not issued any notification on the matter. "This CLAIM is FALSE. FACT: The Saudi Government has not issued any notification on this matter. As a matter of practice, during the Haj season, there are temporary restrictions on short term visas to avoid overcrowding during this season, which end with the conclusion of Haj," the MEA's official FactCheck account posted on X. Earlier in the day, foreign policy experts had debunked reports and claims made by some opposition leaders about Saudi Arabia visa halt, asserting that the "temporary decision" would not affect the sturdy relationship between both nations. Government sources had made it clear that Saudi Arabia's move to temporarily halt Umrah, business, and family visit visas for 14 countries, including India, from April to June 2025, was to manage the massive Haj crowds and ensure safety. "The suspension is a result of logistical, not political, compulsions as restrictions have been imposed on granting short-term visas to avoid overcrowding during the Haj season," said an official. Saudi authorities, which strictly controls Haj, have stated that multiple-entry visas were being misused. Some travellers entered the country on long-term visas but remained illegally for work or performed Haj without proper authorization. The over-crowding has also become a serious issue due to unauthorised pilgrims using long-term visit visas to bypass restrictions. This issue became particularly alarming in June 2024 when over 1300 pilgrims died due to overcrowding and extreme heat as temperatures exceeded 50 degree Celsius. Saudi authorities believe unregistered pilgrims significantly contributed to the crisis, necessitating tighter visa regulations. By restricting travel to single-entry visas, the Saudi government aims to ensure that only authorized pilgrims perform Haj, reducing risks associated with unregulated attendance. Saudi Arabia has called this suspension a temporary measure, but no timeline has been provided for a review. The Saudi government will monitor the impact before making further decisions. Despite such temporary restrictions, the Saudi government remains focused on expanding tourism with India under the Vision 2030 initiative. The bilateral trade between the two countries touched USD $43.36 billion in FY-2023-24. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country last month, India and Saudi Arabia signed USD $100 billion worth of agreements in energy, infrastructure, security, and innovation sectors, strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations. India's fifth-largest trading partner, Saudi Arabia continues to align its economic priorities amidst global market turbulence and energy realignments.
The Journal
03-06-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Transparency or 'cover-up': Gardaí face Sophie's Choice when tackling fake news online
This is a preview of this month's edition of The Journal's monthly FactCheck newsletter, which looks at what misinformation is being shared right now and points at trends in factchecking. Find out more and sign up here or at the bottom of the page. THE FIGHT AGAINST misinformation can sometimes be Sophie's Choice. Police reactions to separate incidents in Carlow and Liverpool over the past week have shown that quashing false rumours can be made so much easier with transparency. But the ability of bad-faith actors on social media to twist the facts means that providing more information about the perpetrators of attacks on the public mean that more traps may lie in wait in future. At around 6.15pm on Sunday evening, 22-year-old Evan Fitzgerald opened fire at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow before he inflicted fatal injuries on himself. It was a shocking, unprecedented incident by the standards of Ireland in 2025 – but also one which saw a bleakly familiar response take shape on social media within minutes of the first reports of a shooting emerging. Before anyone knew what had happened, there was a surge of misinformation, including claims that: seven people had been shot ; a 9-year-old girl had been shot in the leg ; the gunman was shot dead by gardaí ; he had an explosive device strapped to his leg ; and that he was an Islamic terrorist . But what happened next was a bit more unorthodox. The Garda Press Office issued four press releases over the next 24 hours which provided a full picture of what happened , including a precise timeline of events, the extent of injuries (including to a young girl), and – most notably – a description of the perpetrator as a 'white adult Irish male' on Sunday night. It was unusually direct by the standards of the Garda press office, which tends only to offer the most basic details around crimes, in part out of sensitivity towards victims and their families. The decision followed a similar move by police in Merseyside less than a week previously, after a man drove into a crowd of football fans celebrating Liverpool's Premier League title win in the city. Advertisement The incident in Liverpool saw the same kind of misinformation spread as in Carlow , with false claims that the ramming was a terrorist attack and that the suspect was a person of colour being shared on social media. As happened in the aftermath of the shooting in Carlow, the police moved quickly and said the suspect was a 53-year-old white man from the Liverpool area. In both instances, the change in tactics appears to derive from almost identical hard lessons from recent history. The Dublin riots in November 2023 were fuelled by a deluge of speculation about the identity and motive of the man who carried out a knife attack at a school near Parnell Square. The Southport riots last year in England followed the same grim pattern, when far-right groups seized on speculation about the identity and motive of the man who fatally stabbed three children. Both instances were preceded by hours of silence from police and officialdom, which created an information vacuum in which speculation and conspiracy theories were able to take hold. On each occasion, speculation dampened much more quickly after both police forces provided additional information about the background of the perpetrators. Not only did this have the effect of preventing information contagion around one of the biggest news events of the year, it also made bad actors on social media look like fools for speculating so freely. The strategy denied bad actors the ability to hijack the narrative and acknowledged a basic truth about modern social media: in the absence of facts, fiction will flourish. But although it worked this time around, it's a tricky strategy that's not without its downsides. Several far-right accounts online accused Gardaí and Merseyside Police of being 'too quick' to say that the suspects in Carlow and Liverpool were white locals, with the implication that this was an act of political messaging rather than public clarity. The next time a similar major incident occurs and Gardaí or British police don't — or can't — release identifying information about the suspect(s), it's easy to see how the decision not to do so will be seized upon. The public may take the lack of information as confirmation that the suspect is foreign or non-white, and may end up believing bad actors or others who are speculating about what has happened. Related Reads Man who fired shots in Carlow shopping centre named locally as 22-year-old Evan Fitzgerald Former head of Counter Terrorism for the UK, Neil Basu told the News Agents podcast that transparency is needed for police to respond in the age of social media. 'The best position policing can come to is a standard position where they give the maximum amount of information they can,' he said. 'I think what was more important in Southport was the allegations of cover-up, as though people were trying to suppress something.' This is exactly what played out in Carlow before gardaí issued their series of statements: people online suggested that the gunman's body was being covered for nefarious reasons, rather than the operational issues that are usually present in such cases. At its core, the issue is more of a problem with online platforms than with the police. Gardaí and police in the UK are simply reacting to the situation created by social media companies, who allow false claims to spread unchecked in the moments after a crisis. Large social media platforms, not police, are ultimately responsible for hosting unreliable accounts that can present themselves as media outlets or pay for verification on a platform like X, which enables them to appear more credible than they are. It is easy to see how misinformation takes hold when paid-for but unreliable accounts frame speculation and misinformation through the language of legitimate journalists, claiming they have received 'tips', 'unconfirmed reports' or information from 'sources'. It's a process that works for both bad-faith actors and social media companies themselves: they get the engagement through outrage and amplification, but if they're wrong, they can simply say they were 'just sharing' what they heard. As real events become overlaid with imaginary details, the truth has to play a constant game of catch-up. For police and state bodies, the problem is a difficult choice: leave the void that bad actors will inevitably fill, or provide information early and risk politicising every statement. That choice will continue until social media platforms are forced to reckon with the role they play — and until meaningful disincentives exist for those who weaponise misinformation. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... It is vital that we surface facts from noise. Articles like this one brings you clarity, transparency and balance so you can make well-informed decisions. We set up FactCheck in 2016 to proactively expose false or misleading information, but to continue to deliver on this mission we need your support. Over 5,000 readers like you support us. If you can, please consider setting up a monthly payment or making a once-off donation to keep news free to everyone. 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The Star
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
S. Korea police seek journalist arrest over martial law 'fake report'
Former South Korea president Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law declaration had fuelled a surge in misinformation and conspiracy theories online. - AFP SEOUL: South Korean police said Tuesday (May 20) they have requested an arrest warrant for a journalist over a false report related to former president Yoon Suk-yeol's brief imposition of martial law. A reporter for local news outlet Sky eDaily wrote in January in a purportedly "exclusive" report that 99 Chinese spies had been arrested by South Korean troops on the day Yoon suspended civilian rule in December. Citing unnamed US military intelligence sources, the report claimed the spies were transferred to US military custody in Japan's Okinawa, after being arrested at a facility affiliated with South Korea's National Election Commission (NEC). The Seoul Metropolitan Police told AFP that it has filed an arrest warrant request for the reporter, on charges of "obstruction of official duties" of the NEC. The journalist, who has not been named by the police, is accused of publishing a "false article that disrupted" the NEC's operations, its spokesperson added, saying they expect to receive the court's decision on Wednesday. AFP digital verification reporters have previously debunked the journalist's report and related content. Both the NEC and the US Forces Korea had refuted the "Chinese spy" report when approached by AFP's Fact Check. Yoon's martial law declaration -- which he claimed was necessary to break legislative gridlock and "root out" pro-North Korean "anti-state" forces -- garnered support from extreme religious figures and right-wing YouTubers. It has also fuelled a surge in misinformation and conspiracy theories online, with unverified content spreading unproven claims of electoral fraud and Chinese espionage. Pro-Yoon rallies turned violent in January when extremist supporters stormed a Seoul courthouse. At least four of them were handed jail terms, with their charges including vandalising the property and physically attacking members of the press and police officers. - AFP
