As Hamas continues its terrorist attack against Israel, new reports reveal that the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hamas’s state sponsor, has been using the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin, to spread propaganda about the ongoing conflicts.
On Douyin, the regime in Tehran has posted short and curated videos of destroyed buildings in Gaza and pro-Hamas narratives while condemning Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7th, the Iranian Embassy's videos on Douyin have generated hundreds of thousands of views.
Following the posting of a video message and visuals of the bombing of al-Ahli Hosptial in Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad last week, the Embassy of Iran stated that Israel "must be internationally designated as a terrorist."
Iran's Embassy said on Twitter that its followers on Douyin crossed the one million milestone. Tehran's China mission now has over 1.3 million followers on Douyin.
Chinese state media outlets have shared Tehran's propaganda, spread via Douyin, to promote a pro-Hamas and pro-Iran narrative. On Chinese social media, the Islamic Republic's Embassy has backed Hamas' attack on Israel and blamed the United States for tensions in the Middle East.
The Iranian Embassy also mocked the U.S. media outlet Voice of America (VOA) for questioning support in China for the Islamic Republic over Israel.
"'Voice of America is very puzzled regarding the Gaza issue, why do Chinese netizens not buy into the Weibo posted by Israel but express their support for Iran's Weibo?" said the Iranian Embassy on Weibo, a Chinese version of Twitter.
Iran's social media influence on Douyin and other outlets has been effective as Chinese state media have repeated the claims by Iran's Embassy in China and the Islamic regime's news platforms about the current situation in Gaza including antisemitic messaging.
Iranian officials have shared antisemitic images showing rockets falling on Gaza coming out from a person's hair, trying to represent a Jew. The image was reshared throughout various Chinese social media platforms.
"The Iranian Embassy in China released a video: What is hell on earth? Hell looks like Gaza after Israeli bombing," said Chinese-state-run media outlet Guancha in a post.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has deliberately avoided mentioning Hamas while maintaining a distance from Israel. Chinese officials have tried to position Beijing as a peace broker in the Middle East conflict but has not condemned Hamas and its terrorist actions.
The Islamic Republic has openly praised Hamas for its terrorist attack against Israel and vowed to support its efforts through its proxies in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.
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