A deepfake video of former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Vikram Sood is viral on social media, where he is falsely shown praising Pakistan's diplomatic approach during the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
BOOM found that the video has been digitally manipulated, with the original clip carrying no such remarks. We traced the video to an interview Sood gave to ANI in March 2026, in which he discussed Iran's resolve in its war with the US and Israel, and made no mention of Pakistan's diplomatic role in the conflict.
The clip comes as Pakistan has positioned itself as the lead mediator in the US-Iran war, having brokered an April 2026 ceasefire and hosted the Islamabad Talks between US and Iranian negotiators. On June 17, Pakistan helped broker a memorandum of understanding signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to end hostilities, with follow-up talks between the two sides continuing in Switzerland this week.
The Claim
A video shared on X (archived here) shows Sood purportedly praising Pakistan's handling of the Iran-Israel conflict, with the post claiming his remarks highlight Pakistan's efforts to call for dialogue and reduce tensions in the region.
What We Found
BOOM found that the viral video is a deepfake, with the original footage carrying remarks on Iran's war strategy rather than any praise for Pakistan.
Original video carries no praise for Pakistan: BOOM traced the viral clip to an interview Sood gave to ANI on March 6, 2026, on the US-Israel-Iran war. In the original video, Sood argues the war would drag on longer than the US expected, since Iran's strategy of targeting America's regional allies was stoking unrest against Washington, adding that "the Iranians are willing to die, but the Americans are not willing to die." He makes no reference to Pakistan or its diplomatic role in the conflict anywhere in the clip.
Speech and eye movements inconsistent: BOOM observed that the viral video shows unnatural eye movements, along with a manner of speaking that does not match Sood's natural style of delivery, both common indicators of AI manipulation.
Sood denies viral video's authenticity: Sood also posted the viral video on his verified X account, and called it fake.