Claim: An old image of a young man carrying a gun has been circulating online, with claims that it shows the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in various contexts.
Fact: The person in the photograph was an Islamic Resistance fighter Ali Muhammad Salman (Abu Abbas), who was killed in 1989 in the Tuffah region.
An image of a young man walking down a street carrying a gun began circulating on social media as early as January 2024. It was shared on Instagram with the caption,: “This image is from the year 57 and these people you see are fighting the Pahlavi government.
Who is this terrorist with a weapon in the streets of Tehran? That’s right!
Seyyed Hassan Nasrullah Azami from Lebanon! Shame on your head. Don’t understand that you are traitor to Iran and Iranians by supporting these.”
On 17 August, X user @Jonathan_Elk posted the same image (archive) writing, “Nasrallah participated in killing thousands of Palestinians during the 80’s civil war in Lebanon.
But yeah, go ahead and tell me that all he cares about is Palestinians.”
Another user shared the image (archive) on 25 August with the caption, “رهبر تروریست حزبالله لبنان #حسن_نصرالله با اسلحه ژ۳ ایران- تهران شورش 1979
Photo of young #HassanNasrallah, current leader of Terrorist Hezbollah group with Heckler & Koch G3 rifle in his hands during 1979 Islamic devolution in Tehran, Iran.”
[Translated from Arabic: The terrorist leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, #Hassan_Nasrallah, with a G3 rifle – Iran-Tehran, 1979 revolution.]
Following Nasrallah’s death in an Israeli air raid in September, the image began recirculating across social media platforms with various claims. One X user reshared the image (archive) saying, “Nasrallah in Iran 1979.
The greatest role in the 1979 revolution ( conspiracy ) was played by armed terrorists who came from Palestine and Lebanon.”
Another user shared the image (archive) on X along with another image showing the leadership of Hezbollah writing, “1979: 19 year old non-Iranian Hassan Nasrallah in Tehran helping the terrorist Islamic Regime occupy Iran.
When Iranians say they are occupied by Islamofascist Nazi colonizers, this is what we’re referring to.
We celebrate the death of our occupiers and colonizers.
Free Iran!”
The same image was also shared on Threads with the caption,: “This is Hassan Nasrallah in Iran in 1979, armed and actively helping the Khomeinists come to power to overthrow the Shah. Lebanese terrorists along with hundreds of Palestinian terrorists from the PLO played a crucial and violent role in the Islamic revolution and share blame for the horrors we see today. From day one, Palestinians have sided with the Islamic regime in Iran…Arafat himself was the first honored guest of the Ayatollah Khomeini.”
Who was Hassan Nasrallah?
According to the BBC, Hassan Nasrallah rose through the ranks of Hezbollah as the organisation expanded, starting his journey as a fighter before becoming the director in Baalbek and then overseeing the entire Bekaa region and Beirut. He became the leader of Hezbollah in 1992 at just 32 years old, following the assassination of his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, in an Israeli helicopter strike.
One of his first actions as leader was to retaliate against Musawi’s death, which included ordering rocket attacks on northern Israel and orchestrating bombings that targeted Israeli interests abroad. The BBC report further adds that Nasrallah led Hezbollah through a low-intensity conflict that culminated in the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 claiming this marked the first Arab victory over Israel.
In 2009, he introduced a new political agenda that eased Hezbollah’s push for an Islamic republic while continuing its staunch opposition to Israel and the U.S. By 2013, he announced a “new phase” for Hezbollah, involving the deployment of fighters to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad’s government in battling a rebellion.
A day after 7 October 2023, Hezbollah began attacking Israeli military posts along the border calling it a “backup front” for Gaza. The Associated Press (AP) reported that “Nasrallah argued that Hezbollah’s cross-border strikes had pulled away Israeli forces that would otherwise be focused on Hamas in Gaza and insisted that Hezbollah would not halt its attacks on Israel until a cease-fire is reached in Gaza.”
In response, Israel launched strikes that killed top Hezbollah military commanders. In September 2024, Israel was blamed for the explosion of thousands of communications devices, mainly used by Hezbollah members, that killed 37 people and wounded thousands in Lebanon, the report added.
On 28 September, the Israeli military announced that Nasrallah was killed by Israel in a powerful airstrike in Beirut, according to Reuters. Nasrallah was eliminated on Friday during the strike at the group’s central command headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The Reuters report further stated that Hezbollah confirmed his death but did not disclose the details of how it occurred.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched the image in the claim and found an image of the man on a profile on moqawama.news, which is the official platform of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon. It features details about martyrs, resistance operations, and events related to the group.
According to the profile on moqawama.news, the young man from the viral image is Ali Muhammad Salman, referred to as a martyr of the Islamic Resistance. The profile included a different image of him, but the man in both photos is the same, as seen from matching physical features. The young man in the viral image has a bearded, moustached face, identical to the one in the profile photo. Additionally, he’s wearing the same glasses.
The profile included details on his life, education, involvement in jihadist activities, and his martyrdom in 1989 during a mission in Kfar Melki.
The biography on the profile stated that Martyr Ali Muhammad Salman, born on 14/2/1967 in Shebaa, Lebanon, grew up in a modest, conservative family. Salman experienced the Lebanese Civil War as a child and completed his schooling in Ain al-Rummaneh. Known for his kindness and devotion, he joined the Imam Mahdi Scouts, and later the Islamic Resistance in 1985. After participating in several missions, Salman was martyred on “12/25/1989” or 25 December 1989 in Kfar Melki. His funeral procession took place at Imam Al-Ridha Mosque before being buried in Raduf cemetery on 27 December 1989.
We also found a fact-check published by the Lebanese An-Nahar Newspaper in February 2023 on nabdapp.com. The fact check included a wider shot of the same image in the claim (1/5) and an image (4/5) of Salman with Nasrallah that has been credited to alahednews.com.lb. According to the fact check, Salman joined the ranks of the Islamic Resistance in 1985, and underwent several jihadist courses, which enabled him to work within the protection team of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah when he was a member of the Shura Council in Hezbollah. Salman was known for his closeness and good relationship with Nasrallah.
We also reviewed the Al Ahed article published in November 2019, which includes photographs of both the Hezbollah General Secretary and the martyred Islamic Resistance fighter. The article explains that images circulating on social media, claimed to depict Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, are actually of the martyr Ali Muhammad Salman (Abu Abbas). Salman, a close protector of Nasrallah, participated in jihadist missions and was known for his bravery and self-confidence.
Journalist and editor-in-chief of On The Line Media, Samira Mohyeddin, informed us that, “Hassan Nasrallah did not set foot in Iran until 1989 to study in Qom. From 1976-1978 he was studying at a Shia seminary in Iraq.” Mohyeddin, who has a master’s degree in Middle Eastern History and Gender from the University of Toronto, added that the viral image was taken in Lebanon in 1982.
“Different groups are making what they want of this photo to try and arouse anger. Some Iranian opposition groups are trying to tie Hezbollah to the 1979 revolution. Other Israeli friendly Arabs are trying to say he was killing Palestinians during the Lebanese civil war” she further elaborated, “Neither are true. Nasrallah returned to Lebanon in 1979. Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982. Nasrallah was fighting Israel.”
In December 2023, X user @RtailMahmoud shared the viral image (archive) along with the image of another young man writing, “صالحٌ بعد صالح..
الشهيد المجاهد علي محمد سلمان (ابو عباس) ١٩٨٩
الشهيد المجاهد علي إدريس سلمان (عباس) ٢٠٢٣”
[Translated from Arabic: The martyr, the Mujahid Ali Muhammad Salman (Abu Abbas) 1989
The martyr, the Mujahid Ali Idris Salman (Abbas) 2023]
Virality
The image was shared here, here, here, here, and here on X. Archived here, here, here, here, and here.
It is shared here on Threads.
On Instagram, it was shared here.
It was also shared on Facebook here.
Conclusion: The viral image of Ali Muhammad Salman, an Islamic Resistance fighter, has been incorrectly attributed to the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
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Background image in cover photo: Nour News
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