Fact Check: Did Japan warn Israel was planning to ‘nuke’ 2 US cities and blame Iran?
WASHINGTON, DC: Did Japanese intelligence uncover an alleged Israeli plot against the United States? A viral claim circulating on social media alleges that Israel planned to detonate dirty bombs in two US cities before Christmas and blame Iran for the attacks. Let's fact-check the claim.
Claim: Japan warned of an Israeli plot to nuke two US cities
Social media users circulated claims that Japanese intelligence had uncovered an alleged Israeli plot to detonate radioactive “dirty bombs” in two American cities before Christmas.
The posts further alleged that Israel planned to blame Iran for the attacks and that the Pentagon had links to the supposed operation.
For instance, one Facebook post claimed, “This is very serious news coming in. Japan warns that Israeli intelligence is planning to detonate dirty bombs in two American cities before Christmas, with the attacks supposedly being blamed on Iran.”
The post further alleged, “The viral reports claim Japanese intelligence uncovered the alleged plot, with further accusations involving the Pentagon, America's power grid and a secret plan to reshape the world order. Spread the word and follow for more.”
Similar claims also spread across Instagram and X. An X user shared another post claiming that Japanese intelligence had issued an urgent warning to Western countries about an alleged Israeli plan to attack two American cities using radioactive dirty bombs.
The post warned of millions of potential deaths and widespread destruction.
Fact Check: No credible evidence to support claim
The claim is false, as there is no credible evidence that Japan issued such a warning or that Israel planned the alleged attacks. The rumor appears to have originated from The People's Voice, a website known for spreading false and misleading information.
Japan did ask its citizens to prepare for emergencies in early November. However, the announcement focused on natural disasters, including major earthquakes, and did not mention any planned attacks on US cities.
One Facebook page that shared the rumor was called “The Pentagram.” The page described itself as a source of news about the Pentagon, global affairs, defense, politics, and breaking news.
However, despite its name and description, the page had no official connection to the US Department of Defense.
Additionally, a post showed what appeared to be a CNN headline attributed to journalist Lauren Kent, reading, "Japan warns an Israeli intelligence is planning to detonate dirty bombs in two American cities before Christmas."
But investigators found no such article on CNN's official website. A Google search for the alleged headline returned only social media posts repeating the claim. The article also did not appear on the CNN author page of the journalist reportedly linked to it.
