Misinformation Spreads as Fake US-Iran War Footage Circulates on Social Media

In the midst of the ongoing conflict between the US-Israel coalition and Iran, social media has become inundated with misinformation, ranging from AI-generated images to misattributed footage from years past.

AAP FactCheck has identified numerous instances where artificial intelligence-created content is being circulated as authentic war footage, while old images and videos are falsely presented as current events from the conflict zone.

One prominent example involves Australian-based commentator Maram Susli, who posts under the names “Syrian Girl” or “Partisan Girl.” Susli shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) claiming to show “CIA headquarters in Dubai targeted this morning by Iran.” However, fact-checkers determined the footage actually depicts a residential building fire that occurred in 2015 in Sharjah, a neighboring city to Dubai. This fire was extensively documented at the time by multiple news outlets including Fox News, BBC News, and local publications like Gulf News and Khaleej Times.

The same social media account posted additional content purportedly showing three Dubai landmarks ablaze: the Burj Khalifa tower, the Burj Al Arab hotel, and the Palm Jumeirah island district. While Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab did sustain damage from Iranian attacks on February 28, claims about the Burj Khalifa are unfounded.

A reverse image search revealed that the supposed image of a burning Burj Khalifa is actually a decade-old photograph showing the 828-meter structure surrounded by fog, as documented in a 2015 Daily Telegraph article.

Perhaps most concerning is the spread of fabricated imagery purporting to show the deceased Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. One widely-shared image allegedly shows Khamenei’s body under rubble following US-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran. When analyzed with Google’s SynthID AI detection tool, the image was confirmed to contain a digital watermark indicating it was artificially generated.

While Iranian state media reported Khamenei’s death in his office during the attacks on February 28, no verified images of his body’s recovery have been released as of this report.

Another fabrication involves video footage claimed to show “millions at the funeral of the Iranian leader.” Fact-checkers identified this as footage from the February 2025 funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. The procession, matching that shown in SBS news reports, clearly displays Lebanon and Hezbollah flags on the truck carrying the coffins.

Military infrastructure has also been the subject of misinformation campaigns. Social media users have shared purported “before and after” satellite images supposedly showing the destruction of a US military radar at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base. However, the “before” image is actually a Google Maps satellite view of the US Fifth Fleet Naval Base in Manama, Bahrain. The “after” image appears to be an AI-modified version of the same base with fabricated damage.

Google’s SynthID tool confirmed the presence of a digital watermark, indicating the image was generated using Google AI technology. The claim has been independently debunked by fact-checking organizations including Misbar and BBC Verify.

While Al-Jazeera did report that two ballistic missiles struck the Al Udeid Air Base on March 1, 2026, and Reuters published verified satellite images showing damage to the US Fifth Fleet Naval Base (including the white dome visible in the misidentified images), the viral “before and after” comparison remains inaccurate.

The New York Times has published authentic satellite imagery documenting damage to the naval base, but the details differ significantly from those shown in the manipulated social media posts.

As hostilities continue, the volume of misinformation surrounding the conflict underscores the importance of verifying sources and scrutinizing claims before sharing content on social media platforms.