Social Media Image of Saudi Minister Altered
A viral image depicting a Saudi official kissing the hand of Iran's president is a digitally manipulated deepfake.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in International Relations
Live Poll
Do you generally trust the authenticity of viral images you encounter on social media?
Social media users are circulating a digitally altered image that falsely shows Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud kissing the hand of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. An analysis confirmed the image was manipulated from a genuine photograph taken during a recent diplomatic meeting in Tehran.
Why it matters
The spread of sophisticated, AI-manipulated images targeting high-level diplomatic figures presents significant risks for misinformation. By altering real-world political interactions, bad actors can manufacture false narratives about sensitive international relations between nations like Saudi Arabia and Iran.
An AI-detection tool assigned the altered image a 91.3% confidence score for deepfake content. The initial social media post containing the fabricated image garnered 71,000 views and 3,000 likes.
The players
Khalid bin Salman Al Saud
He is the Defence Minister of Saudi Arabia.
Masoud Pezeshkian
He serves as the President of Iran.
Waleed Elkhereiji
He is the Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister who appeared in the original photograph.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
He was the Supreme Leader of Iran whose funeral was the subject of the original photo.
The details
The original photograph, published on July 3, 2026, shows Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji shaking hands with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A reverse image search conducted via Google confirmed the source of the authentic image in an Arab News report, directly contradicting the narrative of the doctored version.
Timeline
July 3, 2026: Original photograph of Saudi delegation was published.
October 26, 2026: Saudi and Iranian officials met in Tehran.
October 26, 2026: Altered image was shared on social media.
Political Context
The rise of synthetic media and deepfakes in political misinformation has made it increasingly difficult for the public to discern authentic diplomatic events from fabrication. This incident follows a pattern set by the proliferation of AI-manipulated content that targets diplomatic relations.
Readers should remain skeptical of politically sensitive images shared on social media, especially those depicting unusual or inflammatory interactions. Verifying the source of such visuals via reliable news outlets is a necessary step to avoid being misled by synthetic media.
The takeaway
The rapid spread of deepfakes requires viewers to practice visual literacy by checking reverse image results for highly emotional political content. When encountering such viral imagery, cross-referencing with established media reporting remains the most effective defense against misinformation.
Further reading
Learn more about evolving digital threats in International Relations.
Live Poll
Do you generally trust the authenticity of viral images you encounter on social media?
