️ Videos claiming to depict the US-Israel-Iran war are flooding social media. While they appear dramatic or terrifying, many are fake, AI-generated, or taken completely out of context.
️ Fighting has erupted across the Middle East after Israel and the US attacked Iran, following a US military... build-up in the region. The US and Israel purportedly launched their massive joint operation after weeks of tensions and talks.
️ Since then, numerous false claims of attacks have spread across various social media platforms and in multiple languages; many are AI-generated.
️ DW Fact check debunked several viral claims and compiled a list to help distinguish fake from real content.
️ Claim: A translation of a viral post on X states, "The video currently being circulated under the name 'missile attack on Minab elementary school' pertains to an attack in Peshawar, Pakistan, and has no connection to Minab." The post includes a video showing crowds gathered in front of a destroyed building.
️ Fact check: False
️ The circulating footage is authentic. It does not depict an attack in Peshawar, Pakistan.
️ On February 28, during US and Israeli missile strikes on Iran, a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, was hit. According to media reports, Iranian officials accused Israel and the US of carrying out the strikes. On Sunday, Israel reportedly denied responsibility. These accusations cannot currently be verified independently.
️ A UN report states that around 150 people were killed. Iranian state media reported at least 165 deaths. These figures also cannot be independently confirmed.
️ Several media outlets and organizations — including the United Nations — have reported on the strike. Verified videos from after the attack confirm the destruction.
️ A terrorist attack did occur at a school in Peshawar, Pakistan, in 2014. However, video material from that time looks entirely different from footage of the current attack in Iran. Grok, the AI assistant on X, has incorrectly linked the Minab footage to the 2014 attack in Pakistan.
️ Claim: This video, viewed more than 1 million times on X and also shared on other platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, allegedly shows a missile hitting a building in Tel Aviv, Israel.
️ Fact check: Fake
️ Although media reports confirm that Iranian missiles hit Tel Aviv, this video does not show such an attack. It is AI-generated.
️ There are several clues:
️ This is just one of many AI-generated videos circulating online in connection with the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
️ Claim: "Dubai Airport out of service. Iranian Missiles ripped it apart," a post on X claimed. The post comes with a video of a burning aircraft and terminal, while smoke engulfs the building. It has been widely shared on social media.
️ Fact check: Fake
️ This video appears to be AI-generated. The 10-second clip does not make much sense. Some tell-tale signs are:
️ A spokesperson for Dubai Airport said that a concourse at Dubai International (DXB) had sustained minor damage in an incident, which was quickly contained. While both DXB and Dubai World Central (DWC) airports had suspended operations following the temporary partial closure of airspace, they resumed limited airport operations on March 2.
️ As social media gets inundated with viral videos depicting shocking scenes, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern what is real. How can you spot fakes?
️ Emad Hassan, Monir Ghaedi, and Torsten Neuendorff contributed to this report.
️ Edited by: Rayna Breuer, Rachel Baig
