Did a video supposedly showing Iranians pumping air into an inflatable building to trick Americans into wasting ammunition originate from a serious news source? No, that's not true: The video, which had several glitches typical of AI-generated content, was published by an account that labels itself parody. In the first few frames the building appears to be deflating instead of inflating, and the arms of the men working the pumps disappear and appear between some of the frames.
The video appeared in a post on X (archived here) published on March 7, 2026 with a description that read:
America is wasting its ammunition on fake inflatable buildings.
In Iran, some cities consists of 95% inflatable buildings.
They cannot be conquered.
This is the video in question:
America is wasting its ammunition on fake inflatable buildings.
-- Climate Warrior🐬 #ClimateJustice🇵🇸🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@ClimateWarrior7) March 7, 2026
In Iran, some cities consists of 95% inflatable buildings.
They cannot be conquered. pic.twitter.com/ygkC26Vw3L
Here is the first frame of the video:
(Image source: post by @ClimateWarrior7 on X.com)
@ClimateWarrior7 (archived here), the account that posted the video on X, has a bio that reads:
Chris de Villiers, fighting for climate and gender justice. #FBPE
European. Transpalestinian. Neurodivergent.
Pronouns: clam/clamselfSave the island of Ydorap
The word "Ydorap" is "parody" spelled backwards.
The opening frames of the video can be seen glitching heavily, especially in the area showing the pump handles and the arms of the men:
(Video source: detail from video in post by @ClimateWarrior7 on X.com)
This is typical of AI-generated footage.
