An informed source close to the IRGC denied issuing any evacuation warning for Doha or Qatari media, according to the Iranian semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
An informed source close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) told Tasnim News Agency after midnight on Sunday that Iran had not issued any evacuation orders for Doha or for Qatari media, rejecting what it described as false rumours circulating online.
“Contrary to the false rumours circulating on the internet, Iran did not issue any evacuation warning for Doha and Qatari media,” the source said.
The denial follows the circulation of a map graphic on X that falsely claims an “urgent evacuation” in parts of Doha, including the Al Jazeera Media Network offices.
The image, written in Arabic and styled to resemble an official alert, alleged the area was being used to host American forces and interests and accused media outlets in the area of inciting against the Iranian people. It urged residents to leave “as quickly as possible”.
The map in the graphic highlighted an area in Doha, with Al Jazeera Media Network offices as the only location specifically named.
Users on X widely shared the image, with some users amplifying claims of imminent danger and others circulating unverified reports suggesting Iran-linked warnings targeting Qatari media.
However, there is no official confirmation from authorities of any evacuation measures in Qatar, and the graphic has been identified by Iranian state media as fabricated.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) news agency apologised on its Telegram page for publishing a post claiming an evacuation warning had been issued for the Al Jazeera Media Network offices in Doha, and denied the claim.
“Given the lack of official information and statements from informed sources, this news is denied,” the IRIB message said. “This news was quoted from some internal sources, which was immediately removed.”
Tehran Times also said on X that the claim that the IRGC had issued threats toward Qatari media is a “blatant lie,” adding that “the enemy of the media and the killer of journalists is the Israeli regime, and it is not unlikely that behind this false news and false flag operation is the same murderous regime.”
Following these statements, Fatima Alsmadi, a researcher at Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, also noted the false claims, sharing reports from Noor News on X that say the claims are untrue.
Shortly after, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior urged the public to avoid spreading rumours and rely only on official government channels for alerts and guidance, warning against sharing unverified information. The advisory comes as fabricated content continues to spread online during the regional escalation.
The posts form part of a broader wave of disinformation circulating online during the regional escalation, including clips of remarks made by an Al Jazeera Arabic guest on Saturday.
Some users on X claimed Liqaa Maki, an Al Jazeera analyst and senior researcher at Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, was inciting attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran, while other users said his remarks were being ‘taken out of context’.
Maki was asked about the implications of threats to target infrastructure in Iran. In his response, he said Israel is being allowed to continue its strikes with maximum force and was also “escalating the nature” of its objectives by shifting toward “strategic targets that make the [population] hurt.” He added that the Al Jazeera correspondent in Tehran showed “bustling markets and comfortable people… [so] people don’t feel the war, so they don’t [revolt] against the government. [At the same time], there may be those who think that hitting strategic Iranian targets can create a real war environment for [the people]… Electricity, especially, and fuel.” These remarks were perceived by X users as Maki’s own suggestions to the Israeli military to attack Iranian civilian infrastructure.
A review of the livestream, including Maki’s complete remarks to the Al Jazeera anchor, reveals that Maki was analysing the latest threat by Israeli Minister of Defence Israel Katz of unleashing further attacks against Iran. Maki also shared developments in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, including the attack on the Diego Garcia base.
The review also revealed that Maki was suggesting that the U.S. and Israeli strategy to target civilian infrastructure in Iran to incite a popular uprising against the Iranian government could help them meet their “objectives,” rather than him suggesting that the U.S. and Israelis execute said approach.