The original photograph, published in July 2026, shows Saudi Arabia's Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji shaking hands with President Masoud Pezeshkian. An image circulating online purportedly shows Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud kissing the Iranian president's hand.
The image was shared following a meeting in Iran on October 26, involving senior security officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkiye, and the Iranian president. The image has been digitally altered.
On October 26, a user on X (formerly Twitter) shared a photograph allegedly showing Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud bending down to kiss Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's hand. The post has garnered more than 71,000 views and 3,000 likes to date.
The same image was also shared by other users on X in multiple posts. A reverse image search on Google led to an Arab News report published on July 3, regarding the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The report included the original photograph of the Saudi delegation sent to offer condolences. Geo Fact Check also analysed the circulating image using Hive Moderation, an AI-detection tool.
The tool returned an aggregated score of 91.3%, indicating that the image likely contains AI-generated or deepfake content. Verdict: The circulating image has been digitally altered.
The original photograph shows Saudi Arabia's Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji shaking hands with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, not Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud kissing the Iranian president's hand. Independent digital forensics experts and fact-checking organizations have repeatedly warned against the rising wave of manipulated media targeting high-profile diplomatic engagements in the Middle East.
Authorities urge social media users to verify visual content through reliable news agencies such as Associated Press of Pakistan (APP / اے پی پی) or official state channels before sharing sensitive claims online.