How Iran uses Israeli media to bolster public opinion

By translating these high-status voices, the Iranian regime bypasses its own public’s skepticism of state propaganda.

By Hezy Laing

Iranian state media and IRGC-affiliated networks systematically translate and repurpose the statements of former Israeli officials to portray the Israeli government as incompetent, divided, and doomed to failure.

Here are a few examples.

Ehud Barak (Former Prime Minister)

Iranian state media and affiliated digital networks have transformed recent interviews with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak—specifically his March 2026 appearance on Israel’s Channel 13—into a primary tool for psychological warfare.

By translating and amplifying his critiques, Tehran aims to present an “insider’s admission” of Israeli military and strategic failure to both domestic and international audiences.

Key Narratives Weaponized by Iran

The “Impossible” Military Objective: Tehran frequently loops clips of Barak stating there is “no practical way” to remove Iran’s enriched uranium through a military path alone.

For internal consumption, this is framed as proof that the Iranian nuclear program is “invincible” and that Israeli threats of “annihilation” are empty rhetoric.

The Failure of “Total Victory”: Iranian propaganda outlets such as Tasnim and Press TV seize on Barak’s use of the term “hubris” to describe the Israeli government’s goals. They highlight his observation that after years of fighting, Israel has failed to eliminate Hamas, Hezbollah, or the Iranian government, framing it as a strategic defeat for the “Zionist entity”.

Comparisons to Failed U.S. Wars: State media amplifies Barak’s claims that a war with Iran could slide into a “prolonged phase of stagnation” similar to the U.S. experiences in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

By highlighting his claim that reopening the Strait of Hormuz would require an unsustainable American deployment, they project an image of U.S.-Israeli overextension.

Accusations of State Deception: Tehran broadcasts Barak’s direct accusations that the Israeli leadership is “lying” to its public about military progress.

This is used to encourage the Iranian public to view all Israeli defense reporting as “fake news,” thereby insulating them from reports of actual Iranian military losses.

Ehud Olmert (Former Prime Minister)

As a vocal critic of the current administration, Olmert is a primary source for Iranian propaganda.

Weaponizing “War Crimes” Allegations: In June 2025, Iranian outlets widely circulated Olmert’s interview with CNN (1.1.6) in which he described certain cabinet ministers’ calls to starve Gaza as “war crimes” and the offensive as a “war of annihilation.”

Strategic Disagreements: Tehran translates Olmert’s assessments that the current war strategy has achieved “almost nothing” (1.3.8) to validate their own claims that the IDF is incapable of a decisive victory.

Targeting the Prime Minister: Reports from Arab News (1.1.3) noting Olmert’s view that Netanyahu is pursuing an “endless war” for personal political survival are used to encourage the idea that the Israeli public is being sacrificed for the leadership’s benefit.

Avraham Burg (Former Knesset Speaker and Labor Party MK)

Burg’s critiques of Zionism and the Israeli state’s direction are used to frame Israel’s eventual “internal collapse” as a historical certainty.

Moral and Social Collapse: State media recently highlighted Burg’s interview with Tucker Carlson in March 2026, in which he described the Israeli mindset as a “zero-sum game” focused on canceling the enemy.

These clips are translated to depict Israel as a society that has lost its moral compass (1.4.8).

The End of Zionism: His historic Guardian (1.4.1) and New York Times (1.4.2) essays are periodically recirculated as “prophetic” warnings that a structure built on occupation will “inevitably collapse in on itself.”

Nuclear Policy: Burg’s previous calls for an end to nuclear ambiguity and regional dialogue are used to portray mainstream Israeli policy as “childish” and dangerous to the world (1.4.10).

Other High-Ranking Officials

In addition to political leaders such as Barak, Olmert and Burg, former Israeli defense officials are also quoted widely in the Islamic press.

Dan Halutz (Former IDF Chief of Staff): Iranian outlets amplify Halutz’s participation in petitions against the current government to show that the most senior military minds do not trust their own civilian leadership .

Yair Golan (Former IDF Deputy Chief): In March 2026, Golan’s accusation that the government was dragging Israel into “moral collapse” and “international disgrace” was broadcast on Iranian state TV to prove that even IDF generals see the war as “criminal” (1.1.11).

Yuval Diskin (Former Shin Bet Chief): Diskin’s warnings that Israeli leaders are motivated by “messianic feelings” rather than strategy are translated to undermine international trust in Israeli intelligence (1.1.7).

By translating these high-status voices, the Iranian regime bypasses its own public’s skepticism of state propaganda, using the “words of the enemy” to manufacture a sense of impending victory.

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