BBC accused of bias after quietly removing anonymous quote begging Iran to be 'nuked to death'
BBC journalist Ghoncheh Habibiazad faces backlash after quietly editing an inflammatory quote from an anonymous Iranian source calling for the country to be 'nuked'.
Social media users are criticising BBC of biased and inconsistent reporting of the war on Iran, after a viral post on X drew attention to what critics say are double standards in the broadcaster’s narratives and editorial decisions.
The latest viral post on X exposed what critics call blatant manipulation in Iran war reporting. The post, which has racked up over 13,000 likes and 350,000 views in hours, spotlighted BBC Senior Reporter Ghoncheh Habibiazad’s article that initially quoted an anonymous “Iranian” begging for Iran to be left without electricity and water before being “levelled” and “nuked to death.”
The quote was silently removed after being flagged on social media, with no formal correction issued by the BBC.
The criticism, amplified by hundreds of replies and follow-up posts, taps into long-standing concerns about the BBC’s impartiality, particularly in its Iran and Middle East coverage.
One X user pointed to Habibiazad’s prior work for a pro-monarchy network and accused her of either fabricating the quote or whitewashing extreme views to shape the narrative. Several posts demanded her immediate firing, citing violations of BBC social media policy after she allegedly blocked the critic.
Additional X posts piled on in response to the original viral tweet.
One user said the BBC is “manufacturing consent for nuking a city of millions now”, while several others tagged BBC and demanded an explanation on the removed quote.
Another user called out the BBC for quietly downgrading the quote and labeled it “lies and misinformation”.
A journalist on X questioned if the BBC made up the quote about being “OK” with Iran being nuked, linking it to broader poor coverage.
The broadcaster has previously faced internal and external scrutiny, including staff complaints over “opaque editorial decisions” and perceived bias in reporting.
Past controversies include a leaked internal memo in 2025 by a former BBC editorial adviser that accused the broadcaster of significant flaws in its coverage of politically sensitive topics — from Israel’s war on Gaza to high‑profile editorial decisions — which ultimately led to the resignation of Director‑General Tim Davie and the head of news.
No official BBC response has been issued yet with regard to the latest controversy.