As tensions escalate in the Middle East, several AI-generated videos appearing to show scenes of destruction, fire, and panic among civilians are circulating across social media platforms as real footage of the military conflict between Iran and U.S.-Israel forces.
Tests using multiple AI detection tools indicated that the visuals were generated using artificial intelligence.
Since the military conflict between Iran and the US-Israel alliance began on February 28, 2026, social media platforms have been flooded with AI generated visuals falsely linked to the war. As concerns grow over AI misinformation, X product head Nikita Bier announced a 90-day suspension from Creator Revenue Sharing for users who post AI generated war videos without disclosure. Bier further claimed that several recent fake war videos on X were produced using OpenAI’s Sora, noting that Sora metadata was detected in them.
Claim 1: Video Shows Iran's Missile Strikes On Dubai’s Burj Khalifa
A verified X user shared the video with the caption, "We fired 1,800 missiles at the Burj Khalifa. Every single missile hit the target."
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
Claim 2: Video Captures Destruction Caused by Iran in Bahrain
Former Rajya Sabha member Mahesh Jethmalani posted the viral video and wrote, "Now, Bahrain is hit by Iran! These footages coming out from the Middle East are mind-bending in so many ways."
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
Claim 3: Video Shows Civilians Panicking After Iran’s Missile Attack on Israel
The video was shared on Instagram with the caption, "Today, the world is witnessing a dramatic turn of events. The same strikes that were once carried out against Palestinians are now being experienced by Israel itself. As missiles from Iran fall, chaos and fear are visible. This moment reminds the world that true power belongs only to Allah."
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
What We Found: Videos Are AI-Generated and Not Real Footage
BOOM found no credible sources or news reports verifying the videos shared with the viral claims.
Video Purportedly Showing Missile Strikes On Burj Khalifa
While examining the video, we observed that people walking in the frame suddenly distort and merge with others. The distortion resembles a glitch commonly associated with AI generated visuals. We then analysed the video using AI detection tools Deepfake-o-Meter, developed by the University at Buffalo, and Hive Moderation.
Results from both tools indicated that the video was generated using artificial intelligence.
Footage Shows Attack On Bahrain
We noticed that the video shows multiple inconsistencies, such as two cars appearing merged together while moving on the road and pedestrians suddenly appearing and disappearing, which are typical indicators of AI generated content.
Taking a cue, the video was tested using AI detection tools Deepfake-o-Meter and Hive Moderation. The analysis flagged multiple indicators of artificial manipulation, suggesting that the visuals are not authentic.
Visuals Shared As Panic Among Civilians
We tested the video using Undetectable AI and Deepfake-o-Meter. Both tools, which assess multiple technical parameters, detected signs of artificial generation in the footage.
