Iranian Professor Alleges Israel-Ukraine-Linked Kidnapping Threat Fundraiser on X

An Iranian political analyst has alleged that a verified account on X is raising funds to kidnap and kill him, while the platform has not removed the content, according to statements cited by Sputnik.

Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a professor at Tehran University and a member of Iran’s delegation during the 2015 nuclear deal negotiations, said in a video that a fundraiser targeting him has been active for five days.

“It has been five days now since a verified account on twitter (X) has started fundraiser to raise $1 million to kidnap me. Of course, that implies torture and trying to murder me. And twitter (X) has refused to remove this tweet (X post),” Marandi said.

Marandi also claimed his own posts were removed while the alleged fundraising content remained online, and said Western media outlets had not reported on the issue.

The claim comes amid rising tensions discussed in a March 22 Singju Post podcast featuring Seyed Mohammad Marandi, which examined the trajectory of the Iran–Israel–U.S. confrontation.

The discussion pointed to strikes involving nuclear-linked infrastructure in Iran and activity near Israel’s Dimona facility as signs of escalation toward sensitive targets, increasing the risk of radioactive fallout and limiting controlled escalation.

Marandi described Iran’s posture as deterrence-based “escalation dominance,” signalling the ability to impose economic costs by targeting energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.

The podcast outlined that a U.S. attack on Iran could trigger retaliatory strikes on Gulf oil, gas, and desalination facilities, with potential disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and other energy corridors, affecting global markets.

It also raised the possibility of wider regional involvement, including actors in Yemen and Iraq, alongside disruptions to routes such as the Red Sea, and warned of impacts on supply chains, food security, displacement, and broader economic instability, with limited scope for rapid de-escalation.