Drones

Does a video show former One Direction singer Liam Payne falling to his death in Argentina? No, that's not true: The video is of another person escaping a fire. It was taken in Mexico in 2023, before Payne's death. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on October 17, 2024. The post, which included a series…

Does the closure of airspace in North Carolina for the visits of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris halt the Hurricane Helene rescue missions? No, that's not true: A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson told Lead Stories that pilots involved in "aid and assistance" for hurricane recovery can fly through restricted areas if they plan the flight with air…

Does a video on an Iranian news website show a blaze that broke out in Tel Aviv, Israel, following an Iranian drone strike in October 2024? No, that's not true: The same footage appeared in June 2022 on a YouTube channel belonging to news outlet Al-Jazeera. The description from 2022 says it shows a fire that broke out at a…

Does a video show an Iranian drone used during the country's attack against Israel stuck in power lines in Iraq? No, that's not true: The video, posted online as early as February 2024, predates Iran's April 13, 2024, attack against Israel. The video was most likely taken in Syria. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X…

Does a video show missiles being launched by Yemen at Israel on April 13, 2024? No, that's not true: The video has been on the internet as far back as 2015 and on YouTube since 2016. The original video did not have the flag of Iran in the top right hand corner. The video had nothing to do with the…

Does footage on social media show Palestinians celebrating at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem after they heard news of Iran's mid-April 2024 aerial attack on Israel? No, that's not true: The video was shot days before Iran launched drones and missiles against Israel. The video was recorded during the last Friday of Ramadan, according to a BBC reporter. Lead Stories…

Does footage on social media show Israelis panicking and running after Iranian missiles and drones hit Israel's airspace April 13, 2024? No, that's not true: The footage had already been on social media for a week when Iran attacked Israel. It shows a crowd running on April 6, 2024 toward the Four Seasons hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where former…

Does a video on social media document a barrage of hundreds of cruise missiles and drones launched into Israel by Iran on April 13, 2024? No, that's not true: The video, found in a variety of posts, appeared on social media several years before Iran's 2024 attack on Israel. Lead Stories found examples of the clip dating back to 2022…

Did a viral post share authentic visuals of Iranian drones in the sky over Israel during Iran's aerial attack of April 13, 2024? No, that's not true: Those images and clips had been circulating on social media for at least half a day before the attack. At the time they were used with reports about an unrelated event involving flares…

Did Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau say that Russia must win this war? Yes: Trudeau did misspeak at the end of a news conference in Poland. While speaking of how aid and military equipment would be supplied to Ukraine, he accidentally said "Russia must win this war." He immediately corrected himself and said, "Ukraine must win this war against Russia."…