JERUSALEM (VINnews) A satirical tweet by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s former spokesman, David Keyes, briefly misled some Arab media outlets ahead of an Israeli strike that killed Ali Larijani.

Three days before the strike, Keyes posted a photo of Larijani surrounded by security personnel, highlighting a man walking behind him and claiming the figure, named “Haba Bator,” was a senior agent and his friend. “Larijani is next,” Keyes wrote in the tweet. The name “Haba Bator” is a Hebrew pun meaning “next in line,” reflecting Keyes’ sardonic humor.

Despite the tongue-in-cheek intent, the tweet was widely shared. Faisal al-Qassem, a prominent Al Jazeera journalist with more than six million followers, posted the image and text as fact, writing that Larijani was “in for an ‘interesting’ week” and implying the tweet predicted the strike.

Hours later, Israeli officials confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces had carried out a targeted strike in Tehran, killing Larijani, who had served as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and had been operating underground in recent days.

The incident highlighted how satire can be misinterpreted in fast-moving international news cycles, especially during high-tension events.

Larijani is next. How do I know? Because the guy circled in red, Haba Bator, is one of our top agents and happens to be my best friend. Haba just returned from Iran this morning and, with Mojtaba dead, Larijani is going to have a very interesting week. pic.twitter.com/3Thj9nng0q

— David Keyes (@DavidMKeyes) March 13, 2026

ديفيد كيز المتحدث السابق باسم رئيس الوزراء الاسرائيلي قبل ثلاثة أيام نشر تغريدة مع صورة للاربجاني ومجموعة من مرافقيه، ويظهر في الصورة شخص كان يمشي خلف لاريجاني بأمتار، قال عنه ديفيد كيز ان هذا الشخص صديقي وهو عميل لنا واسمه هالا باتور، ودعوني اقول لكم ان لاريجاني سيكون الهدف… pic.twitter.com/03kRhAS1HW

— فيصل القاسم (@kasimf) March 17, 2026