Iran

Does a real video show a U.S. warship on fire after an Iranian attack? No, that's not true: An AI-generated content detection tool rated the video as "likely to be AI-generated." There are also several other signs that the video was likely made with AI or digitally altered, including unnatural-looking fire and smoke, unrealistic water movement, and slight warping or…

Did President Donald Trump, in a social media post, repeat the protest slogan "MERZ, LICK EGGS" about the German chancellor and suggest the United States might "take over" Germany? No, that's not true: The supposed post does not appear on the president's official Truth Social account, and there are no reliable reports that it ever did. Trump has been critical…

Does a video show a double missile strike by Iran on a U.S. ship during hostile action in May 2026? No, that's not true: The clip resurfaced in social media posts falsely claiming it showed an Iranian strike near Jask Island, but it actually comes from a 2016 live-fire exercise conducted by the U.S. Navy and its allies in the…

Did President Donald Trump warn Jimmy Kimmel and others in a social media post that "I had James Comey arrested"? No, that's not true: The supposed post does not appear on the president's official Truth Social account, and there are no reliable reports that it ever did. While the president has not explicitly threatened to arrest Jimmy Kimmel, he has…

Is there a real set of pictures of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wearing a Palestinian flag scarf and slapping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? No, that's not true: The pictures are screenshots from an AI-generated video. Additionally, as of April there are no reports of Meloni slapping Netanyahu. The claim appeared in a post made on X by the…

Does a real video show Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ignoring and walking away from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the incident portrayed in the clip ever took place. An AI detection tool also found that "the video is likely AI-generated" after assessing the content. The claim…

Are viral posts real that claim Cole Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, worked as a driver for dozens of celebrities? No, that's not true: The false claim is part of an AI-generated series of articles and posts created by a spam operation managed from Vietnam. Fake fan pages are used to target North American and…

Did Al Jazeera broadcast a report stating that NATO countries shared intel with Iran on U.S. military movements? No, that's not true: Lead Stories did not find evidence of such a report. The video claiming to be the Al Jazeera report contained an AI-generated voice-over. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on April 22, 2026.…

Are the eight women in a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump, purportedly facing execution in Iran, actually AI-generated? No, that's not true: The women are real and are facing a variety of charges, Iran Human Rights in Oslo, Norway, told Lead Stories. The organization said, "Only one of the women has a death sentence," though others faced death-related…

Does a verified report say President Donald Trump tried to "access the nuclear codes" but was blocked by Gen. Dan Caine, as claimed by retired CIA analyst Larry Johnson? No, that's not true: There are no credible or verified reports indicating that such an incident ever occurred. While Johnson said on a podcast that there was a report of this…