Baghaei wrote in a post on his X account that Israel’s behavior reflects a deliberate effort to instill fear and suppress dissent amid its genocide in Gaza.

He cited Thunberg’s recent interview with a Swedish newspaper, in which the young activist described being violently assaulted during a protest.

“They grab me, pull me to the ground, and throw an Israeli flag over me,” Thunberg was quoted as saying.

Baghaei said that such actions are intended “to terrorize any courageous person who dares to stand up for justice and human dignity for Palestinians, and to intimidate the whole world into refraining from protesting its genocide and atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank.”

He also denounced the regime’s covert attempts to manipulate public opinion, asserting that “it pays selected influencers $7,000 per post to gloss over its crimes.”

“The truth written by innocent blood cannot be concealed by bribery or intimidation,” he added.

The remarks by Baghaei came amid global outrage over Israel’s violent interception of the Global Summud Flotilla, a civilian convoy carrying international activists and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

During Israel’s raid on the flotilla, several peace activists were injured and detained as their vessels approached Gaza’s territorial waters.

The Global Summud Flotilla, comprising ships from more than a dozen countries, was organized by international solidarity groups to challenge Israel’s years-long blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Its organizers said the mission was entirely peaceful and aimed at drawing attention to what they called “the world’s longest and most brutal siege” imposed on Gaza’s civilian population.

The crackdown on the flotilla has reignited memories of Israel’s deadly 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara, when commandos killed 10 activists in international waters, sparking global condemnation.