"Haba Batour"... How did a former Israeli spokesperson fool the audience with a tracking agent for Larijani?

Social media platforms are witnessing a widespread re-circulation of a cryptic tweet published by David Keyes, the former Netanyahu advisor for foreign media, four days ago.

“Social media platforms are witnessing a widespread re-circulation of a cryptic tweet published by David Keyes, the former Netanyahu advisor for foreign media, four days ago”

Al-Jazeera Net

The post included a photo of Ali Larijani participating in World Quds Day events in Tehran.

Al-Jazeera Net

Keyes, in his controversial tweet, said that Larijani is the next target.

He claimed this because 'the man surrounded by a red circle, Haba Bator, is among our best clients and happens to be my closest friend.'

Haba returned from Iran this morning, and with Mojtaba's killing, Larijani will have an incredibly eventful week.

Keyes placed a red circle on a person wearing a medical mask walking near Larijani, and Arab Twitter users across platforms interpreted that the former Netanyahu spokesman had revealed the identity of one of the Mossad agents, named Haba Bator, who stood behind the assassination.

The tweet spread widely, especially after the Israeli army announced the killing of Ali Larijani, the secretary-general of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in an airstrike on Tehran.

Unraveling the linguistic trick shows the tweet is not connected to the existence of a real operative, but a hoax and wordplay in a satirical style.

The secret lies in the name mentioned, Haba Bator (\u062Haba \u0628\u0627\u062A\u0648\u0631), not a real person, but a Hebrew phrase pronounced Haba Bator, literally meaning 'next in line' or 'the next target'.

Al-Jazeera Net

Thus, the tweet’s author used this Hebrew expression and wrote it in English letters to appear as the name of a secret agent, to convey a mocking and threatening message that Larijani is the 'next in line' on a targeting list.

This tactic falls within psychological warfare and the usual mockery battles on social platforms, and has no connection to real intelligence operations.

After Tehran confirmed the news of Larijani's assassination, David Keyes did not stop there but continued activity on his X account with a series of satirical tweets.

“Social media platforms are witnessing a widespread re-circulation of a cryptic tweet published by David Keyes, the former Netanyahu advisor for foreign media, four days ago”

Al-Jazeera Net

In one, he told followers: 'Contact me if you need to know who is next.'

He also posted another tweet, continuing the same satirical approach, saying: 'We found Larijani because the person in the picture is not just a child, but a Mossad operative of short stature named Baga Ficks. Baga transcends the boundaries of courage, and has just returned home after completing her mission. Baga is my mentor and my dearest friend. All of Israel thanks you, Baga!'

The name 'Baga Ficks' (Paga Ficks) is, like the earlier 'Haba Bator,' not a real person’s name but an English rendering of a Hebrew phrase (פגע פיקס) pronounced 'Baga Ficks,' meaning a precise hit or a strike to the heart.

This incident exposes another facet of misinformation and information warfare, where David Keyes exploits the unfamiliarity of a broad segment of Arab Twitter users with Hebrew terms to push a fictional intelligence narrative and deliberately stir confusion.

Israeli media, including Maariv, picked up this scene and highlighted the wave of engagement sweeping across the Arab platforms, and how a linguistic joke turned into a story that many circulated as confirmed fact.

The Iranian National Security Council had yesterday confirmed the killing of its Secretary General Ali Larijani as a result of an Israeli airstrike targeting Tehran.

The council stated in an official release that Larijani, a central pillar of the ruling system, was killed along with his son Morteza and his aide Ali Reza Bayat, in addition to several associates in the same attack.

Al-Jazeera Net

This strike comes a few days after Larijani appeared in the streets of Tehran during the annual Quds Day march, seen among the crowds participating in the events.

Larijani had issued a statement before his killing addressing Muslims worldwide, urging them to stand with Iran and support it in the current confrontation.

This incident illustrates misinformation and information warfare in real time, showing how a linguistic joke can be amplified as fact across platforms and spark cross-platform engagement.

“Social media platforms are witnessing a widespread re-circulation of a cryptic tweet published by David Keyes, the former Netanyahu advisor for foreign media, four days ago”

Al-Jazeera Net

Israeli media, including Maariv, highlighted the scene and the way Arab platforms spread the narrative as if it were a real intelligence operation, underscoring the ease with which satire can be misread as truth.

Al-Jazeera Net

Overall, the piece frames the episode as part of ongoing information warfare surrounding Iran, Israel, and Quds Day.