Identifying an impostor: ‘Verified’ X account not of Iranian journalist whose show was interrupted by Israeli attacks

by Ankita Mahalanobish

On June 16, amid the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran, Iranian state TV journalist Sahar Emami’s live broadcast had to be cut short. Israel had attacked the studio of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Tehran, where Emami was hosting her show. However, within minutes, she returned to complete her programme despite the adversities. The moment cemented her popularity and resilience on social media. Soon after, her X account @iamSaharEmami became very active. Many on social media began flocking to it for updates on the ground situation in Iran. 

 

The account, with her image, identified her as a journalist and the “Iranian voice for truth,” “sharing real stories from the ground”. Created in October 2023, the account gathered nearly 200,000 followers after the video of her TV appearance amid the bombing in Tehran went viral. Below is a screenshot of her account when her follower count was steadily increasing. 

However, Alt News found that this account, which appears authentic, impersonates the Iranian state TV anchor.

After an Alt News journalist called this out on X on June 22, the account changed its bio to a “commentary account” that was “not affiliated with Sahar Emami”.


Note that on June 21, IRIB news shared a video on X and Instagram in which Sahar Emami clarifies that she has no X account. 

 

But even before Emami’s video statement, several things about the user made us suspect that this was an impostor. Here’s how we identified it.

Identifying an Impersonator

Below are some pointers that raised doubts:

  1. Old posts deleted: The account was created in October 2023, yet the first post by this account visible right now is as recent as June 18, 2025. This seemed highly unlikely. Since we had tracked the user for some time, we knew that there were older posts that were deleted. Fortunately, we took screenshots of the deleted posts with their original publication dates.

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  2. Abusive language: We found some posts in which abusive language was used, that too in Hindi.

     
  3. Posts: The first post from this account, available now, is from June 18. Here, the user draws parallels between Israel and the Nazi regime. Again, it seemed like content shared by troll accounts, not journalists.

4. Location: Before the account had as many followers, we noticed that the location was mentioned as Georgia, USA. It was later changed to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

5. Misinformation: In several posts, the user had shared and amplified false, AI-generated, and misleading information, unlikely to be done by a journalist. We have embedded some examples below. (Archives 1, 2, 3)

 

 


On June 22, 2025, the account had also amplified misinformation that the US used Indian airspace to strike Iran during operation Midnight Hammer. (Archive)

The account had shared posts quoting Pakistani media channels, which had also alleged that the US used Indian airspace to strike down Iranian nuclear plants.

One of the posts claiming the US used India’s airspace to strike was further amplified by Hamid Mir, a journalist from Pakistan who has also shared misinformation in the past. 

The joint chief of staff for the US military, General Dan Caine, said during a press briefing on June 22 that the jets used in the operation, which included B-2 Spirit bombers, required refueling as they crossed the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The below map shows the route used and nowhere includes the Indian airspace.

The same day, India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) also refuted claims that India’s airspace was used by the US for operation Midnight Hammer.

Watch | Were Indian or Pakistani airspace used for Op Midnight Hammer?


6. Attempt at establishing credibility with the same image: We noticed that the user shared images of Sahar Emami from her viral video with compelling captions to establish credibility. No other images or videos from other broadcasts were used. (Archive)

7. Pakistan-related posts: The account had also amplified some pro-Pakistan posts, especially those in favour of jailed leader Imran Khan. For instance, in one post dated June 18, 2025, the account advocates for former Pakistan PM Khan’s release. “A great leader is unjustly in jail, the caption of the post says. The video in the post has a woman lauding Iran for standing up to Israel and urging fellow Pakistani citizens bring back Imran Khan. Referring to Khan as a “charismatic leader,” she calls his leadership “the need of the hour”  and condemns Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir.

The account also shared a video by Pakistani senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri.

These indicators helped us identify this as an impersonator account. However, to a lay social media user, these clues may not occur immediately. To make matters worse, the profile also has a blue tick or a verified badge. The badge, was once a marker of authenticity, now offers little assurance that an account truly represents a public figure or credible source, since it can be paid for.

Such “verified” impersonator and troll accounts also signal a larger problem with X’s policy, which states that a verified badge serves as an indicator that an account is in “public interest” and is “authentic.” In practice, however, it has helped dubious accounts amplify misinformation and blurred the line between credible and non-credible sources of information.

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