'Fake news, AI': MEA dismisses report of India requesting Israel defence pact

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) firmly rejected a report alleging India had sought a defense pact with Israel following the signing of a new security agreement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. The MEA labeled the claim as "fake news" generated by artificial intelligence. The Turkish outlet Straturka initially published the report, which was later disseminated on social media platforms and attributed to unnamed Pakistani sources.

The MEA's Fact Check unit swiftly shared a screenshot of the report on X, warning users about the malicious nature of such posts created using AI. The ministry emphasized the importance of cautioning against such malicious social media content. The report emerged in the wake of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, which aims to enhance military and security cooperation among the three nations.

Pakistan has characterized the agreement as a collective-deterrence arrangement, asserting that an armed attack on any one of the signatories would be considered an attack on all three. Indian officials have been closely monitoring the situation, with the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stating that India is closely following the developments and will provide further updates.

The MEA's clarification came one day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone. The two leaders discussed avenues to strengthen the India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership and reviewed the existing partnership between the two countries across various sectors. The conversation centered on bolstering bilateral ties and the ongoing relationship between India and Israel, rather than any new defense pact linked to the Pakistan-Saudi-Turkey agreement.