As the novel coronavirus pandemic has swept across the world over the last few weeks, a pro-Iranian influence operation has spread disinformation over social media suggesting that the US government created the disease, according to a new report from Graphika.
The International Union of Virtual Media (IUVM) “is a prolific operator” that hosts and creates pro-Iran and pro-Palestinian video reports, news articles, and memes.
According to Graphika, this content is linked out over social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. In recent weeks, the disinformation operation has pivoted toward blaming the US for creating the coronavirus and critiquing its sanctions against Iran, alleging that they have hurt the nation’s ability to combat the disease.
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