Iran

Is this a real video of an airstrike on a U.S. base in Qatar? No, that's not true: An online AI video detection tool determined that the clip is 83.3 percent "likely to be AI-generated." A separate tool identified typical AI "hallucinations," including a distorted U.S. flag, static lighting during the blast, unrealistic smoke and debris interactions, and unusually clear…

Did a news helicopter capture live footage showing a crew of paramedics chasing a runaway gurney as it careened down a grassy slope? No, that's not true: The scene featuring a fake "Chopper 5 - Breaking News" chyron is AI-generated. There are several clues that the video is not real. Three blurred areas in the video frame indicate the positions…

Are U.S. soldiers "openly refusing orders" to deploy "en masse" to Iran as a viral Facebook post claimed? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that large numbers of American service members are refusing deployment orders. Claims circulating on social media misrepresent online activity, and the hashtags #SoldiersRefuse and #NoWarWithIran are not trending No. 1 worldwide with 18 million…

Does a real video show Tomahawk missiles streaking past a merchant ship "on their way to targets in Iran"? No, that's not true: This video is AI-generated. The fake video shows missiles passing dangerously close to the ship and glitchy text on its containers. Although this video is fake, there is real footage that was filmed from a container ship…

Does a video on social media show what posts described as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, "hiding in schools thinking Israel won't bomb them"? No, that's not true: It's not real footage. The clip was made with generative AI from a photo that predated the Feb. 28, 2026, U.S.-Israel attack on Iran, as well as the following escalation. The claim…

Did President Donald Trump post a message about a "Hormuz Peace Board" on his Truth Social account on March 16, 2026? No, that's not true: No post including the phrase "Hormuz Peace Board" could be found on Trump's Truth Social account. There is no evidence online that the president ever shared a post accusing Presidents Obama and Biden of starting…

Does a viral image show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Israeli Defense Forces soldiers in March 2026 amid rumors of his death? No, that's not true: The photo has been online since 2018. As of this writing, no credible media outlet has reported that Netanyahu was wounded or killed in the most recent round of escalation in…

Does a viral video show Downtism Cafe in Tehran being destroyed by a U.S.-Israeli airstrike? No, that's not true: The video appeared on the internet 25 days before the most recent military escalation in the region. It showed the consequences of a fire, not a strike. The claim appeared in a post published on X (archived here, here and here)…

Is this a real video of the Burj Al Arab hotel in the Jumeirah neighborhood burning after drone and missile attacks? No, that's not true: An online AI video detection tool determined that the clip is 100 percent "likely to be AI-Generated." A separate tool found visual inconsistencies that resemble computer-generated imagery or CGI. The claim appeared in a video…

Does a video show angry people at Ben Gurion Airport throwing things at staff behind the counter in March 2026, demanding tickets to leave Israel? No, that's not true: The video shows a group of Israeli youth throwing objects at Arab employees at Jerusalem's Cinema City theater and chanting "Death to Arabs." It happened months earlier, in July 2025. The…