Old video of Iranian president biking unrelated to 2026 Mideast truce
- Published on April 29, 2026 at 05:41
- 2 min read
- By Joao Pedro CAPOBIANCO, AFP Brazil
- Translation and adaptation Chayanit ITTHIPONGMAETEE, AFP Thailand
Iran briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz on April 17 after a truce between Israel and Lebanon was declared, but footage of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian cycling in public purportedly as a sign of détente is old. The video had circulated since October 2025 and shows the president biking to promote a healthy lifestyle in central Iran.
"Tehran's take on soft power? The Iranian President is seen cycling as the war tensions begin to ease," reads in part a Thai-language Facebook post shared on April 17, 2026.
The post includes a clip showing Pezeshkian wearing a suit while cycling with other men.
The same post further claims the video appeared "as Iran has announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz following a successful ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, with Donald Trump publicly thanking Iran for the move."
Iran briefly reopened the strait on April 17 in recognition of an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon, but closed it again the following day in response to the United States maintaining its blockade on ships traveling to and from Iranian ports (archived link).
The vital conduit for the world's oil and liquefied natural gas has been virtually closed since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28.
Lebanon was drawn into the broader war when Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Iran, its key ally.
Similar claims spread on X and TikTok and were shared in multiple languages such as English, Portuguese and Spanish.
But the video of the Iranian president is unrelated to the truce reached between Israel and Lebanon.
A reverse image search using the clip's keyframes led to a video posted on TikTok by Pakistani media Dawn on October 17, 2025 (archived link).
The caption in English says, "Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was seen cycling down empty streets in Isfahan in an effort to promote sports and a healthy lifestyle in the country. The president was seen riding alongside locals during an official visit to Isfahan."
Subsequent keyword search on Google found the same video posted by Iranian daily newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad on October 16, 2025, as well as local news site Isfahan Today (archived links here and here).
Images of the event had also been released on the same day on the Iranian president's official website (archived link).
AFP also distributed the photos of Pezeshkian cycling with description saying the handout photos capture the Iranian president on October 16, 2025, riding a bicycle alongside local officials during a visit to Isfahan, with the aim of promoting sports and a healthy lifestyle.
AFP has previously debunked other misinformation related to the Middle East war.
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