Iran

Did WikiLeaks in December of 2022 release Apollo 11 "moon landing cut scenes filmed in Nevada desert," proving that the moon landing never happened and was instead staged for filming right here on Earth? No, that's not true: The video in this post splices together a scene from a 1977 fictional movie, which was not even filmed in Nevada, and…

Has Oscar-winning actress and humanitarian activist Angelina Jolie passed away as of December 7, 2022? No, that's not true: No credible news organizations have reported her death as of December 7, 2022, and TIME magazine published on December 7, 2022, a recent video interview she conducted. The claim appeared on the website mz24news.com on December 6, 2022. The headline read:…

Did actor Morgan Freeman announce after performing at the 2022 World Cup that he has converted to Islam? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Freeman ever publicly confirmed that he converted to Islam. The claim appeared in a Facebook post published on November 23, 2022. The post's caption read: Morgan freeman converted to islamThe famouse hollywood actor#MorganFreeman…

Did Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin "admit we never went to the moon"? No, that's not true: The 2015 video interview from which a clip was taken to support this claim actually showed Aldrin answering a different question. The claim reappeared in a post on Instagram published on November 24, 2022. The accompanying text comment said: It's clear as day…

Do seed oils, not the sun, increase the risks of skin cancer? Was skin cancer "basically non-existent before seed oils"? No, that's not true: Ultraviolet exposure is one of the major factors that may lead to skin cancers, as well as genetics. Seed oils are not known for increasing risks for this disease, as a board-certified dermatologist confirmed to Lead…

Did Iran sentence 15,000 protesters to death as of November 16, 2022? No, that's not true: While those participating in the uprising face serious risks to their well-being and in some cases their lives, the figure of 15,000 refers to the total number of detainees, which cannot be independently verified. As of this writing, one case of the death penalty…

Does a video show an "Iranian whistleblower" revealing how they hacked a federal voter registration database during the U.S. 2020 election and created fraudulent overseas ballots? No, that's not true: The footage -- shown at an election integrity event in October -- includes a screen recording that the U.S. Justice Department already determined is intended to mislead people. It does…

Is soursop fruit 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy? No, that's not true: Soursop has not been proven in any clinical trials to be stronger than chemotherapy to any degree. According to a cancer professor at Harvard, this is "not a plausible statement and there's nothing to back it up." The claim appeared in an Instagram post on October 29, 2022.…

Is this a recent photo from Kyiv, Ukraine, of a man shooting at Iranian drones from his balcony window? No, that's not true: This photo is from a Twitter account that acknowledges this tweet is an old picture and a meme. The claim appeared in a tweet on October 17, 2022 (archived here), that opened: Casual morning in Kyiv: Coffee,…

Do aluminum-based antiperspirants cause or exacerbate breast cancers? No, that's not true: No connection has been established between these types of antiperspirants and breast cancer. According to the Cleveland Clinic, "No scientific evidence has been discovered that links the use of these deodorants and antiperspirants to the development of breast cancer." The claim appeared in an Instagram post and video…