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Claim: A Facebook user claimed that Iran said Kenya and Nigeria would soon join the ongoing Iran–US conflict.
Verdict: Misleading. The claim did not originate from the Iranian government’s official account. Available evidence traced the claim’s source to a deleted interview by a state-owned broadcast station with an unidentified international affairs expert.
Full Text
Tension between Iran and the United States has remained high following a series of military confrontations, diplomatic disagreements, and retaliatory actions.
The conflict has drawn international attention, with several countries expressing support for one side or the other through diplomatic statements, military cooperation, intelligence sharing, or humanitarian assistance.
Against this backdrop, claims linking additional countries to the conflict have continued to circulate on social media.
On Jul. 10, 2026, a Facebook page, Civic Media News (archived here), published a post alleging that Iran claims that Kenya and Nigeria could join in the ongoing war.
The post reads, “Breaking News: Iran claims Kenya and Nigeria could soon join the Iran-USA conflict.”
As of Jul. 13, 2026, the post attracted significant engagement, garnering 521 likes, 168 comments, and 21 shares.
The claim sparked confusion and concern among social media users, particularly Nigerians.
One user, Mudassir Muhammed, commented, “Which Nigeria, see another trouble.”
Another user, Ola Gold, wrote, “What’s going to happen to me that my wife just gave birth?”
A third user, Johnson Bruce, questioned the claim, asking, “Which Nigeria are you talking about, please?”
We also found the claim here and here.
Given the public anxiety reflected in the comments and the possibility that the claim could mislead the public and fuel unnecessary panic, DUBAWA investigated it.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search to determine whether any credible news outlet reported the alleged comment by the Iranian government.
The search led to a report by Kenyans.co.ke, which explained that the statement originated from the X account of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Iran’s state-owned broadcasting corporation, and not from the Iranian government or any official government spokesperson.
While IRIB is state-owned, its broadcasts and social media posts do not automatically represent the official position of the Iranian government.
The report further stated that the now-deleted post was attributed to an unidentified international affairs expert, not an Iranian government official.
The post read, “International Affairs experts to IRIB: Kenya and Nigeria also possess strategic military reserves that will enter the field at the appropriate time.”
However, the Facebook post omitted this important context and instead framed the statement as an official declaration by Iran.
Neither IRIB nor the unidentified analyst referenced any Iranian state actor or official.
DUBAWA also tried to trace the Iranian state-sponsored broadcaster’s X post but found no such claim in the Wayback Machine’s archive of the station’s X page. However, a YouTube page, Make Afrika Again, used a screenshot of the post as an overlay on a video posted on Jul. 10, 2026.
The broadcast station also failed to explain why the two countries were mentioned or to provide any clarification after deleting the post. The lack of supporting evidence and the subsequent deletion further undermine the claim’s credibility.
To seek clarification, DUBAWA contacted IRIB to ascertain whether the deleted post reflected the broadcaster’s official position or the Iranian government’s, and to request evidence supporting the claim.
However, IRIB has not responded to our enquiries as of Jul. 14, 2026.
Conclusion
The claim that Iran said Kenya and Nigeria would soon join the Iran–U.S. conflict is misleading. Available evidence shows the statement originated from a now-deleted post by Iran’s state-owned broadcaster, IRIB, quoting an unidentified international affairs expert, not the Iranian government.
