Read previewAn online joke about Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi being killed in a helicopter crash by a Mossad agent named "Eli Copter" has fooled several media outlets — including Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov.
Raisi, 63, died on Sunday in a helicopter crash alongside several senior officials in northwest Iran, with state media saying the vehicle struck a mountainside.
An Israeli official said Tel Aviv was not involved in the crash, which Solovyov challenged.
AF - The IDF Mourns The Loss Of Their Undercover Agent, Eli Copter pic.twitter.com/G0tok0TFyV — Associated Fress (@AssociatedFress) May 19, 2024Several people reporting about Raisi's death seemed to have missed the joke.
Haik later quoted the Hamas message on i24, saying that the involvement of "Eli Copter" was a rumor that couldn't yet be confirmed.
Persons:
—, Ebrahim Raisi, Eli Copter, Vladimir Solovyov, Solovyov, Daniel Haik, Eli Copter pic.twitter.com, Haik
Organizations:
Service, Business, Tel, Russia Media Monitor, IDF, Hamas, Telegram, i24 France, Kremlin, West, Washington, Observatory, MIT Media Lab, Center for
Locations:
Iran, Israel, Tel Aviv, Russia, Tehran, Moscow, Ukraine