Fact check: Debunking claims in the US-Israel war with Iran

Videos claiming to show the US–Israel–Iran war are flooding social media. And while many look dramatic or terrifying… a lot of them are fake, AI‑generated, or taken completely out of context. PoliticsFact check: Debunking claims in the US-Israel war with IranKathrin Wesolowski | Sarah Steffen03/04/2026March 4, 2026Videos claiming to show the US–Israel–Iran war are flooding social media. And while many look dramatic or terrifying… a lot of them are fake, AI‑generated, or taken completely out of context.https://p.dw.com/p/59i3lImage: Hamid Vakili/Parspix/ABACAPRESS/IMAGOAdvertisementFighting has erupted in Iran and the Middle East after Israel and the US attacked the country, following a US military build-up in the region. After weeks of tensions and talks, the US and Israel launched a massive joint operation against Iran.  Since then, a lot of false claims of attacks have been spread across various social media platforms and in multiple languages; many of them are AI-generated. DW Fact check debunked a few viral claims and put together a list that will help you tell apart fake from real content.  Video material about attack on girls' school is genuine Claim: "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," says the translation of a viral post on X. The post includes a video showing crowds gathered in front of a destroyed building. Screenshot of a viral post falsely claiming that the iages dont show the aftermath of the Minab school strike but a school attack in Peshawar, Pakistan in 2014Image: X Fact check: False The circulating footage is authentic but it does not depict an attack in Peshawar, Pakistan. On February 28, during U.S. 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 U.S. 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 — including the United Nations — have reported on the strike. Verified videos and photos captured from different angles 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 connected the Minab footage to the 2014 attack in Pakistan. Are these videos really related to the current attacks? 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. Screenshot of a post claiming to show a missile hitting Tel AvivImage: X 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: The antennas on the building collapse before the missile makes contact. The building on the left topples onto another structure that inexplicably remains intact — a physically unrealistic scenario. This is just one of many AI-generated videos circulating online in connection with the U.S.–Israel conflict with Iran. Viral video showing Dubai airport on fire? This viral post showing a video of Dubai airport on fire is fakeImage: XClaim: "Dubai Airport out of service. Iranian Missiles ripped it apart," a post on X claimed, sharing a video with a burning aircraft and terminal, while smoke is engulfing the building. It's been widely shared on social media, also on other platforms. Fact check: Fake This video appears to be AI-generated. The 10-second clip doesn't make a lot of sense. Some tell-tale signs are: The firefighters aren't actually aiming the water hose at the building's fire, The airplane seems to have an extra wing on its right side, The smoke looks unnatural, People are standing close to the burning aircraft and are not moving away to a safe distance. No one else in the video is seen filming with a smartphone,   The audio sounds off: someone yelling to get away from the stairs when no one is there; unnatural cadence when talking about smoke; generic voices and accents. A spokesperson for Dubai Airportsaid 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. Tips on how you can spot fakes As social media gets inundated with viral videos depicting shocking scenes, it gets harder and harder to see what's real. How can you spot fakes? Look closely at a video: Watch it several times, both with sound turned on and off. Do objects blend into