On a recent @joerogan episode, @ComicDaveSmith talked about misinformation on Iran, but ended up spreading several…

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Summary

An Iranian fact-checker critiques Joe Rogan guest Dave Smith's claims about Iran, finding numerous misleading statements regarding protest sizes, death tolls, and evidence of government violence. The thread argues that Smith downplayed civilian casualties, repeated unverified state claims, and ignored systematic repression while using internet blackouts to justify the regime's narrative.

Summarized by ThreadOut AI from the full thread. May miss nuance — read the thread below.

#1
On a recent @joerogan episode, @ComicDaveSmith talked about misinformation on Iran, but ended up spreading several misleading and one-sided claims. As an Iranian, I fact-checked just 3 minutes of what he said and it was already disappointing. Here’s a breakdown 🧵
#2
1. "Iranians rose up… in defense of the regime. Hundrends of thousands in Tehran" ❌ False / Misleading: Trump did not say this. He actually urged people to stay at home, not "rise up." Beyond that, the claim ignores reality in Iran: only pro-regime rallies are allowed, while anti-government protests face tear gas, arrests, and live ammunition. Crowd numbers come from the state and are unreliable. Example: gov claimed 3M in Tehran (Jan 18), independent estimates ~100–140K in a city of 15M. factnameh.com/fa/fact-checks…
#3
2. "165 little girls were killed [So people hate US]." ⚠️ Tragic but needs investigation: The reported toll reached 165, but verification is impossible due to internet shutdowns, lack of independent access, and no full victim list being released. The school was reportedly on or near IRGC-controlled land, further limiting transparency. Media can not directly contact families. hengaw.net/en/reports-and…
#4
3. "He killed a few cops." (wrestler case) ❓ Context matters: Amnesty and IHR report the trial lacked due process and relied on confessions obtained under torture. deathpenaltyinfo.org/focus-on-iran-…
#5
4. "Trump: 32,000 protesters killed." ✅ True as a quote: Trump did say this, as reported by media outlets, but he was citing external reporting and was NOT the original source of the figure.
#6
5. "No shred of evidence [For 32K killing]." ❌ False: Evidence exists but is fragmented due to repression. In Iran, where independent journalism and NGOs are restricted, documentation relies on witness testimonies, medical records, burial data, leaked documents, and cross-verification. Families are often threatened and prevented from speaking publicly. iranintl.com/en/202601255198
#7
6. "Just one photo of body bags." ❌ False: This downplays the scale of visual evidence. There are huge number of photos and videos showing live fire, mass casualties, hospital raids, vehicles hitting civilians, and rows of body bags across multiple locations. start here: x.com/search?q=from%…
#8
7. "~3,000 deaths (gov figure)." ⚠️ Misleading use: While officials reported figures around 3,000 (e.g. 3,117), these come from the same authority accused of the violence, in a context where families are threatened and independent investigations are blocked, making underreporting highly likely. I can just give you 10 confirmed names off the top of my head that aren’t on that list!
#9
8. "Police stations & mosques were attacked." ⚠️ Unverified: These claims originate mainly from state sources and cannot be independently verified due to internet blackouts and lack of access. In Iran, such locations are also often used by security forces. In other words, you’re citing someone who cut off communication between the people and the world to promote their narrative.
#10
9. "These were not peaceful protests." ❌ Misleading: Available evidence shows largely unarmed civilians facing live ammunition. Reports indicate hundreds of minors were killed within days. Even if isolated incidents occurred, the level of force used was massively disproportionate. iranhumanrights.org/2026/02/over-2…
#11
10. "Foreign intelligence / Mossad involved." ❌ Misrepresented: No verified evidence shows foreign agents embedded in protests. Reports refer to messaging attributed to Mossad, not confirmed operations. Meanwhile, extensive footage shows Iranian security forces directly using lethal force against civilians.