Iranian Media Responds to Israeli Election Results with Deadlock Reports and Conspiracy Theories

Iranian media outlets responded on Wednesday to the emerging results of the elections in Israel with a variety of reports, some of which veered from reality into the realm of conspiracy theories and fake news.

Some state media reported concisely on the elections while citing local reports. The Hamshahri newspaper, affiliated with the Tehran municipality and considered relatively moderate, reported on a political deadlock with neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor Gadi Eisenkot securing a sufficient majority to form a government. The paper noted that Arab parties are expected to win 17 to 18 seats, further complicating efforts by both camps to build a coalition.

In contrast, conservative Iranian media offered a more imaginative interpretation of the situation. The conservative Khorasan newspaper reported under the headline "The Beginning of the Flight from Netanyahu," claiming that Netanyahu is complaining of electoral fraud amid escalating tensions between the military and the political establishment.

Another conservative daily, Resalat, published an op-ed titled "The Deal of the Devil," stating that if exit poll results are accurate, the process of removing Netanyahu from the political arena may have begun. Meanwhile, Keyhan, a newspaper closely tied to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, published only a brief report summarizing a delayed article regarding Netanyahu's alleged contingency plans in case of an electoral defeat.