Since airstrikes by the United States and Israel began on February 28, social networks have been flooded with videos and images claimed to show attacks and their aftermath in Tehran and other Iranian cities. DW Fact Check reviewed several widely shared posts and found a mix of authentic footage, misattributions, recycled clips and manipulated media. Key findings are summarized below.
Tehran — were 2,000-pound bombs dropped on March 4?
Claim: A video on X claimed to show Tehran under attack and said the US began dropping 2,000-pound (910-kg) bombs on March 4; the post also quoted the US administration saying “this is not a war.”
Verdict: Misleading.
– The US military confirmed B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran’s ballistic-missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs beginning on February 28, and strikes on Tehran started that day.
– Reverse-image and video checks show the viral clip does depict bombing in Tehran (the uploader and Iran International identify it as Tehran, and the speakers speak Farsi).
– However, the clip was first posted on March 1 and therefore cannot show events on March 4; there is no definitive evidence linking that specific clip to a confirmed 2,000-pound bomb impact. In short: the broader use of such bombs is confirmed, but attributing that weapon type to this exact video is unproven.
– The characterization that the administration called it “not a war” is partly reflective of officials stressing they had not declared a formal war; President Donald Trump described the operations as “major combat operations,” but there has been no formal declaration of war.
Was Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral shown in a viral clip?
Claim: A video circulated as footage of the funeral procession for Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Verdict: False.
– Although DW Fact Check reports that Khamenei was killed in the initial strikes, no official state funeral had been announced or held at the time of the viral post; staging a formal funeral during active conflict would be challenging.
– The viral procession clip actually matches coverage and images from the February 23, 2025 funeral of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and likely successor Hashem Safieddine. Reverse-image searches and press photo agencies (including AFP/Getty) match portraits, flags and other identifiers linking the video to Hezbollah and Lebanon rather than a funeral for Iran’s supreme leader.
Has Mojtaba Khamenei, the supreme leader’s son, been killed?
Claim: A prominent X post alleged Mojtaba Khamenei was killed in US strikes in Tehran.
Verdict: Unproven.
– There is no reliable confirmation that Mojtaba Khamenei has been killed. Succession rumors have circulated, and DW Fact Check previously debunked a deepfake purporting to show him giving an inauguration address.
– Israeli officials have warned that any likely successor would be a target, but neither US, Israeli nor Iranian authorities have publicly confirmed Mojtaba’s death; a confirmed death of such a figure would normally be publicly announced by official or reputable media sources.
Summary
– Some widely shared clips do show real incidents in Iran, including strikes; however, many accompanying claims contain wrong dates, unverified weapon attributions, or false identities.
– Other viral footage is misattributed to different events (for example, a Hezbollah funeral presented as Khamenei’s funeral).
– Deepfakes and manipulated media are in circulation. Treat claims of major deaths or other high-profile developments cautiously until confirmed by reliable official statements or reputable news organizations.
Report contributors: Negin Jamshidi Fard and Niloofar Gholami. Edited by Matt Ford. Report compiled by DW Fact Check.