IRNA news agency proudly reports to citizens of Islamic Republic that due to military maneuver held last week, of which evidence was said to be ´doctored´, Israelis have begun to fearfully evacuate country

Iran continues to enjoy the dubious success of the military missile drill, which the Islamic Republic´s Revolutionary Guard held last week. The Iranian news agency IRNA reported to the country´s residents on Monday that the Israelis were so terrified by the display of power that it has sparked a mass emigration.

Iran´s national news agencies have become famous for their hyperbolic reports on the state´s successes, and this time was no exception. According to recent reports, there has been an increase in "massive emigration from Tel Aviv following the military maneuver."

The report was not actually referring to the bustling city, but rather using Tel Aviv as a general term signifying Israel, which Iran has refused to recognize or mention by name.

"Following the successful maneuver executed by Iran last week, which included the firing of new missiles, Zionist residents living in occupied Palestine have begun to flee from there," the report said. "The residents told their illegitimate government that this was the reason they refused to go on living there."

It is unclear what information the report was based on, but the slurs may be an attempt at countering negative reports by the West, which described the documentation of the missile firing as "doctored". These speculations cited the military´s failure to fire long-range missiles as the reason for the editing of the footage.

Iranian reports also claimed that "some of the Western news agencies have tried to create a negative atmosphere in the media, and deny Iran´s military capabilities." Earlier a senior official from Iran´s Defense Ministry claimed that the military maneuver has improved Iran´s position in the diplomatic talks over the fate of its nuclear program.

These most recent news reports are reminiscent of the Iranian media´s accounts of the Second Lebanon War. Following a speech made by Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nassrallah, in which he denounced Israel, an Iranian newspaper published the headline: "Tel Aviv was evacuated".

The paper, loyal to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wrote that "following recent threats made by Nasrallah, Israeli government agencies have been moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem."(Copyright © Yedioth Internet. 07/14/08)