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Chant: Iranian parliament speaker Ghalibaf is an Israeli spy; video goes viral

The Zioneer Intelligence Desk
Chant: Iranian parliament speaker Ghalibaf is an Israeli spy; video goes viral

Primary source Internal intake · 1 reviewed intake signal · Desk window 21:53

TL;DR

The Zioneer reports on a viral claim circulating in Persian-language social media, alleging that Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf is an Israeli spy. The claim is based on an image from Khamenei’s funeral in which a man identified as Ghalibaf weeps beside the coffin, while a companion reportedly glares at him with contempt. The video and its interpretation have been shared widely on Persian Telegram channels. No official source has confirmed the allegation, and the claim remains unsubstantiated.

01 · THE DISPATCH

A viral claim has spread across Persian-language Telegram channels, alleging that Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf is an Israeli intelligence asset. The claim centers on a video clip from the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in which a man identified as Ghalibaf appears to weep beside the coffin. The accompanying narrative, written in both Hebrew and Persian, claims that a person standing next to Ghalibaf — described as an IRGC officer — glares at him with contempt, supposedly indicating knowledge of his alleged espionage.

The video has been widely shared alongside the caption: 'The Israeli spy Ghalibaf cries over Khamenei’s coffin. Pay attention to the contemptuous look of the IRGC officer next to him — he knows he is a spy.' The Hebrew and Persian texts are near-identical in substance, suggesting coordinated amplification.

As The Zioneer previously reported, Ghalibaf’s emotional display at the funeral was noted by Israeli security analysts, who described it as 'food for thought' for Mossad. However, no official Israeli or Iranian source has ever alleged Ghalibaf is a spy, and the claim is unsubstantiated. The video is of unknown provenance and has not been independently verified. The Zioneer's assessment: the viral narrative is based on visual interpretation with no corroborating evidence.

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This dispatch is published under The Zioneer Intelligence Desk. Raw intake channels remain internal provenance; an external outlet or channel is named only when it materially helps readers evaluate a specific claim.