Pakistan-Based Disinformation Campaign Targets India After US Strike on Iranian Vessel

A coordinated disinformation campaign, allegedly originating from Pakistan-based networks, attempted to exploit a recent maritime conflict involving the United States and Iran to damage India’s diplomatic standing, according to open-source intelligence assessments.

US Strike on Iranian Frigate

The incident at the center of the disinformation effort was the sinking of the Iranian Navy’s frigate IRIS Dena by the US on March 4th off the Sri Lankan coast. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the strike demonstrated that Iranian vessels were not safe even in international waters, releasing periscope footage of the impact. Naval warfare law permits attacks on enemy warships without prior warning if no clear surrender signals are present, and debates continue regarding whether warnings were issued prior to the strike.

The #IndiaBetraysIran Disinformation Campaign

Immediately following the sinking, a narrative accusing India of sharing sensitive information with the United States began circulating on social media, alleging India leaked the frigate’s coordinates to enable the attack. Analysts widely dispute this claim. The campaign utilized the hashtag #IndiaBetraysIran.

Analysis by Indian Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) groups and threat intelligence platforms traced the campaign’s origin to a March 4th post by the account @TacticalTribun, an account known for frequent username changes, suggesting malicious intent. The narrative spread through both organic engagement and orchestrated amplification.

Campaign Origins and Reach

Approximately 40% of the campaign’s origin was traced to Pakistan-based users and networks, with contributions also coming from Iran-aligned, Middle Eastern, African, and Southeast Asian clusters. Over 500 posts from more than 100 identified accounts reached an estimated cumulative exposure of 50,000-100,000 views, with some individual posts exceeding 900,000 impressions.

Coordinated Hybrid Disinformation Tactics

The campaign exhibited characteristics of a coordinated hybrid disinformation operation, combining genuine user engagement with inauthentic amplification techniques. A “hub-and-spoke” network structure was observed, with the initial post rapidly replicated by primary amplifiers, followed by secondary amplification across numerous accounts through quote tweets, replies, and hashtag clustering. Visual content, such as images of the IRIS Dena and unrelated naval footage, significantly outperformed text-based posts, indicating deliberate emotional manipulation.

The campaign involved layered participation, including originators, high-reach amplifiers, ideological networks, and “sockpuppet” accounts, demonstrating structured coordination. Indicators of coordinated inauthentic behavior included verbatim content duplication, synchronized posting patterns, rapid hashtag emergence, and abnormal engagement spikes. Bot amplification was assessed as moderate-to-high.

Multi-Ideological Amplification

The narrative gained traction across multiple ideological groups, including Pakistan-based networks (35-40%), pro-Iran actors (15-18%), pro-Palestine clusters (12%), Western anti-war communities (8%), China-aligned accounts (5%), and even sections of the Indian domestic political opposition (8%). This convergence created a “narrative ecosystem,” allowing the unverified claim to gain traction across regions.

Repeat Playbook Linked to ISI

The campaign is linked to a broader pattern of similar operations involving fabricated or manipulated media. For example, on March 3rd, @TacticalTribun posted a deepfake video of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh endorsing attacks on Iran by the US. Another Pakistani X account, @IntelPk_, repurposed vintage footage of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, falsely asserting that PM Narendra Modi had pledged support for assassinating Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei. India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check and other verifiers debunked these as Pakistani-origin propaganda aimed at straining India-Iran relations.

Type II Targeted Disinformation Operation

the #IndiaBetraysIran campaign represents a Type II targeted disinformation operation, leveraging a geopolitical incident to construct a false narrative aimed at undermining India’s international credibility, particularly among Muslim-majority countries and the Global South. While short-lived, the campaign succeeded in seeding a residual perception of distrust, highlighting the evolving role of misinformation warfare in contemporary geopolitical conflicts.