Pakistan posts attribute fabricated 'Israel warning' to US secretary of state

"Pakistan is like a wounded wolf waiting for your one mistake -- Marco Rubio's warning to the Israeli prime minister," reads an Urdu-language X post shared on September 18.

The post, which was shared more than 280 times, includes a screenshot of Rubio and Netanyahu's joint press conference below text that similarly indicates the top US diplomat issued the warning.

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Screenshot of the false post captured on October 13, 2025, with a red X added by AFP.

Similar claims also ricocheted on Facebook, Threads, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram after Israeli air strikes that targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar, sending shock waves throughout the region (archived link).

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia subsequently signed a new strategic defence pact on September 17 with the two sides saying an attack on one country would be considered "an aggression against both" (archived link).

But there have been no official reports about Rubio publicly issuing the supposed warning to Israel about Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed Muslim country and a long-time Washington ally.

A reverse image search of the image led to the same photo available in AFP's photo archives. Its caption says it shows Rubio and Netanyahu at a joint press conference at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on September 15.

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Screenshot comparison of the photo as it appears in the false post (left) and in AFP's archives (right)

Rubio was visiting Jerusalem a week before a UN summit in New York on recognising a Palestinian state led by French President Emmanuel Macron, who had voiced exasperation at Israel's nearly two-year offensive in Gaza and sought to strengthen Hamas's rivals in the Palestinian Authority (archived link).

Rubio charged that Hamas was emboldened by moves by Britain, France and other US allies to recognise a Palestinian state.

A keyword search found a livestream of the press conference posted on the verified YouTube channel of the US State Department and a transcript on the department's website (archived here and here).

Nowhere does Rubio mention the supposed remarks in the false posts. Netanyahu meanwhile briefly mentions Pakistan at the 21-minute mark when discussing US action against Al-Qaeda.

"And of course, the United States acted very boldly against the terrorist havens that were given to al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, the terrorist haven that was given to the chief terrorist, bin Laden, in Pakistan," Netanyahu says.

"Those countries that are condemning Israel today did not come and say, well, what a terrible thing was done, the sovereignty of Pakistan was violated, and the sovereignty of Afghanistan was violated."

AFP has previously debunked misleadingly presented comments that linked Israel and Pakistan.