Iran

Was a video of Jewish children held in animal cages posted to social media by "Arab" captors in order to show them off as trophies? No, that's not true: this video was posted on TikTok days before the Hamas attacks in Israel but by October 8, 2023 the video and the account that posted it were gone from TikTok. Screenshots…

Did Hamas claim that Ukraine sold them the weapons, purportedly paid for by the United States, that they used to attack Israel on October 7, 2023? No, that's not true: Hamas has made no such public claim. Additionally, there is no credible information, evidence, or reports supporting such an assertion. The claim appeared in a post on X (archived here),…

Does a social media post prove that a U.S. F-35 fighter jet landed safely "at the Chinese base in Cuba"? No, that's not true: The debris of an F-35 that vanished in September 2023 was found after a daylong search; its pilot had safely ejected before its crash. No official statements contradicted this version of events, and a national security…

Does this video show deadly floods in Libya in 2023? No, that's not true: Lead Stories has found this video posted on different social media sites going back as far as 2016. The claim appeared on Facebook (archived here) where it was published on September 13, 2023. The video showed floodwaters rapidly traveling through a wide stream bed. The video…

Did the UK's Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) reveal in August 2023 that the wildfires in Hawaii were caused by a "weather weapon" developed by the U.S. government? No, that's not true: The claim is part of a Chinese disinformation campaign. Additionally, there is no credible information or evidence to suggest that the wildfires in Hawaii were caused by such a…

Did Ukraine capture an entire "train" carrying multiple SU-57 jets used by the Russian army? No, that's not true: The video making such a claim in its clickbait headline did not actually say anything about this fighter jet. As of this writing, there is no evidence that Ukraine was able to seize any SU-57s. The claim appeared in a reel…

Mike & Dennis At Lead Stories we have a long history of looking at Mike Lindell's election fraud claims. Readers will remember our fact checks about Lindell's four conspiracy-filled election fraud "documentaries" here, here, here and here, or our coverage of his Cyber Symposium here. We also warned him about Dennis Montgomery, a man with a long history of providing…

Did President Joe Biden fall asleep during an important meeting with the president of Israel? No, that's not true: Biden met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House on July 18, 2023. A video clip posted on Instagram shows a moment during the meeting with the sound removed. Biden had some note cards on his lap and he…

Did protesters in France release animals from the zoo after police shot a teen, causing the animals to roam the streets? No, that's not true: Social media posts making this claim are showing old video clips of various animals running loose in different communities at different times. Additionally, the Paris Zoological Park has confirmed that all of its animals are…

Does the video and caption in a social media post accurately portray a B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber flying over Miami as part of the moving of "missile defense systems" to "locations on the U.S. west coast"? No, that's not true: The footage of the military aircraft flying over a Miami beach actually displays an air show tribute for a holiday…