Fact check: Viral image of Saudi defence minister kissing Iranian president's hand is AI-generated

Several social media users, including pro-Houthi accounts based on their past posts, have been sharing an image since October 26, on social media platforms Facebook and X, allegedly showing the Saudi defence minister kissing the hand of the Iranian president amid a meeting in Tehran involving the Makkah Defence Alliance.

However, the image is old and edited using AI.

Iran hosted senior security officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye on Oct 26 for talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian called for regional unity and a coordinated stance among Islamic countries, urging them to strengthen cooperation and oppose actions by the United States and Israel.

The meeting focused on regional security, the consequences of US-Israeli attacks on Iran and efforts to de-escalate tensions. Iranian officials said the four countries agreed to continue talks on regional peace and security, while Saudi Arabia said the visit aimed to promote dialogue and support mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan.

On Oct 26, a Houthi supporter, based on their past posts, shared an image on X allegedly showing Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman kissing the hand of the Iranian president. The post gained 63,000 views.

A pro-PTI user also shared the same image in a similar context with the following caption: “In fact, this is the path to peace. Come to Tehran and pledge allegiance. Welcome, my beloved.” The post attracted 27,000 views on X.

Several other pro-Houthi accounts further reposted the same image on Facebook and X, as seen here, here, here, here, here and here.

A keyword search was conducted to determine whether any credible Saudi, Iranian, or international media outlets had published the image or reported on an incident in which the Saudi defence minister allegedly kissed the Iranian president’s hand, but yielded no reports.

Investigating the image also found several visual discrepancies, such as deformities around the Saudi official’s fingers and hand as he kisses the Iranian president’s hand.

There were also slight deformities and distortions on the Iranian president’s cheek and neck as well, hinting that the image was likely edited through AI.

The image was then analysed using multiple AI-detection tools to assess whether it had been artificially generated or manipulated. Hive Detect reported a 99 per cent likelihood of AI generation, while DeepAI and TruthScan also indicated a 90pc likelihood that the image was edited using AI.

A reverse image search of the viral photo yielded an Arab News report covering the funeral procession of assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 3, 2026.

The report stated that Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed El Khereiji attended the ceremony, where he met Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The featured image in the Arab News report shows a strong resemblance to the viral photo, with the same background and the officials wearing similar attire.

However, a comparison of the two images reveals a key difference. The viral image depicts the Saudi official kissing the Iranian president’s hand, whereas the original image shows him simply shaking hands with the president.

The same report, featuring the same image, was also published by Saudi news outlet Saudi Gazette and the official Saudi Press Agency.

Therefore, the claim that a viral image shows the Saudi defence minister kissing the hand of the Iranian president is false.

The image is edited using AI, and the older original picture does not even feature the Saudi defence minister.

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This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.