Iranian Propaganda Film of Netanyahu Kidnapping Resurfaces as Nuclear Talks Intensify

A provocative Iranian film portraying the fictional kidnapping of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reemerged on state-affiliated networks.

The short film, entitled Unofficial Guest, was originally released over five months ago. It depicts a mysterious accident involving Netanyahu, followed by his disappearance. In the plot, a Hebrew-speaking interpreter in Tehran, Haidar, is tasked with interrogating a secretive detainee, revealed to be Netanyahu himself.

The film was produced by Ghodra Studios and is linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, according to opposition outlet Radio Farda.

Radio Farda also claims that the studio operates as a front for regime propaganda. Another noteworthy fact is that Ghodra’s CEO, Morteza Esfahani (also known as Morteza Ghoobbe), is reportedly a former Ministry of Intelligence official. The film is hosted on Ammar Yar, a website run by the Cultural Front of the Islamic Revolution, an entity established by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to promote works aligned with the Islamic Republic’s ideology.

Why has it resurfaced now?

It's likely that it's connected to the sensitive nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. Israel was allegedly planning a massive operation on Iran's nuclear sites, which would have taken place next month (May), but Trump put a spoke in the wheels, asking them to hold off so he could pursue diplomatic talks first. America has added that if the talks fail, they will definitely striek Iran's nukes. That being said, the talks might be about Iran reducing its nuclear ambitions and not about it discontinuing them altogether. In this case, it's not impossible that they continue to enrich Uranium, despite US - Israel's demands.

While the film’s narrative is fictional, it echoes prior Iranian threats against Netanyahu. In November 2022, IRGC commander Mojtaba Fada publicly called for kidnapping Netanyahu and parading him as a “slave” in Iran. More recently, in September 2024, Israel’s Shin Bet arrested an Israeli citizen allegedly recruited by Iranian intelligence to plot Netanyahu’s assassination after being smuggled into Iran.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the film.

JPost contributed to this article.