Overview
Heavy fighting spread across the Middle East after Israel and the United States carried out strikes on Iran following a US military buildup in the region. A large joint operation by the US and Israel followed weeks of tensions and negotiations. In the aftermath, numerous false, recycled and AI-generated posts have circulated on social media in several languages. DW Fact Check examined several widely shared clips and compiled this guide to help distinguish authentic coverage from manipulated material.
Girls’ school attack in Minab — video is genuine
Claim: A viral post said footage labeled “missile attack on Minab elementary school” was actually from a 2014 school attack in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Finding: False. The circulating footage has been verified as showing the February 28 attack on a girls’ school in Minab in southern Iran during the recent US and Israeli strikes. Iranian officials blamed the United States and Israel; Israel reportedly denied responsibility. Independent confirmation of who carried out the strike is not available. Iranian state media reported at least 165 deaths and a UN report cited roughly 150 fatalities; these figures cannot be independently verified. Verified videos and contemporary media coverage show destruction at the Minab site. The 2014 Peshawar school attack did occur but the footage from that event differs visually, and conflating the two is incorrect. An AI assistant on X (Grok) also incorrectly linked the Minab footage to the 2014 Pakistan incident.
Video allegedly showing a missile hit in Tel Aviv — fake
Claim: A widely shared clip allegedly shows a missile striking a building in Tel Aviv.
Finding: Fake. While media reported missile activity in Tel Aviv during the wider strikes, the viral clip does not show a real missile impact and appears to be AI-generated or heavily manipulated. Signs of fabrication include antennas collapsing before any visible impact and implausible building and debris behavior that contradicts physical reality. This clip is one of many manipulated videos circulating amid the conflict.
Viral clip of Dubai airport on fire — fake
Claim: A post claimed “Dubai Airport out of service. Iranian Missiles ripped it apart,” with a short video showing a burning airplane and terminal.
Finding: Fake. The ten-second clip exhibits multiple anomalies consistent with AI generation or manipulation: firefighters not directing hoses at visible flames, an aircraft with an extra wing, unnatural smoke behavior, people standing unreasonably close to the blaze, and audio that does not match the visuals. Dubai Airport officials said a concourse sustained minor damage in an incident that was contained quickly; operations at Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) were temporarily suspended but limited services resumed on March 2. The viral video does not match the official account and is not genuine footage of a large-scale destruction at the airport.
How to spot manipulated or misattributed content
1. Inspect visuals carefully: Replay clips several times with and without sound. Look for mismatched audio, objects that don’t blend realistically, or movements that defy gravity or logic (for example, structures collapsing before any apparent impact).
2. Check provenance and timing: Take screenshots and use reverse image search tools (such as Google Lens) to see whether the image or clip has appeared before in another context. Reused or old footage is often reshared and misattributed to current events.
3. Cross-check reputable sources: See if multiple trusted news organisations report the same incident and whether there are verified visuals from different angles or independent confirmations.
As social feeds fill with shocking clips, careful scrutiny — examining visuals and audio, checking provenance, and relying on reputable outlets — is essential to separate authentic reporting from AI-generated, recycled or otherwise manipulated misinformation.
Report contributors: Emad Hassan, Monir Ghaedi and Torsten Neuendorff. Edited by Rayna Breuer and Rachel Baig.