Daniil Bisslinger, vice-president of the Global Fact-checking Network (GFCN), in a candid interview at Moscow’s international forum Dialogue on Fake News 3.0 raised alarm: Russia and Iran are being subjected to coordinated disinformation campaigns designed to exploit their international isolation and sanctions-induced vulnerabilities. These warnings point towards states and online networks increasingly targeting these two nations for manipulation through propaganda dissemination or shifting perceptions, according to Bisslinger.
Bisslinger noted at the sidelines of the forum that Russia and Iran share many similarities, such as being subjects to disinformation campaigns from Western powers; furthermore, sanctions imposed against both nations only help both to become “stronger.”
According to IRNA English, the Global Fact-Checking Network’s efforts at gathering experts and fact-checkers from over 80 nations demonstrate its vital role in creating global defenses against manipulative online behavior.
Bisslinger noted that the forum, co-organised by GFCN, aimed to combat misinformation and increase media literacy. We have worked to unite experts and organizations into one platform for constructive global cooperation against propaganda stunts,” he stated. IRNA English
Iran and Russia are not simply actors–they are targets of campaigns designed to undermine trust and spread confusion.
He noted that Iran in particular faces issues ranging from scam calls and internet fraud, as well as false information spreading via emails and social-media platforms. According to Mr. Alimezhadi, these can be addressed through sharing experiences – emphasising the value of transnational collaboration.
Russia and Iran have come under attack from disinformation, according to IRNA English correspondant John Bisslinger. Much public discourse has focused on their influence operations as sources of disinformation; yet according to him they also contain manipulative content designed to exploit geopolitical advantages, sanctions burdens, or internal vulnerabilities.
Analysts view this development as the result of globally known campaigns by Russia and Iran, such as their use of propaganda websites that spread messages in multiple languages under cover of media outlets.
Russia’s active measures have long targeted adversaries, yet this activist’s remarks demonstrate how information warfare now occurs from both major powers.
Bisslinger emphasizes the need to share knowledge and experiences in order to deal with this evolving threat, suggesting fact-checking networks, national regulators, and tech companies must all adapt.
Though this interview provides new insight, many questions remain unanswered: funding and origin remain unknown for many campaigns; goals may include destabilising societies or undermining trust with audiences as well as creating sanctions-resistant narratives; however, framing Russia and Iran as targets reframes disinformation conversations as it highlights influence operations’ complexity in digital environments.
As our world becomes more interconnected and adversaries more sophisticated, the need for media literacy training, cross-border fact checking and coordinated responses grows steadily. Bisslinger’s call for global cooperation may hold key: confronting today’s information battlefield requires partnerships not just between states but among societies and platforms as well.
Overall, both events shed light on an emerging reality: disinformation campaigns are no longer exclusively conducted by state actors; rather they now target nonstate actors too. Russia and Iran, often perceived as sources of influence operations, now appear through victims’ eyes; how far global society will be able to use tools, partnerships, and willpower to combat this remains to be seen.