Dismantling the intricate web of misinformation on Iran-Israel Conflict

Amid Iran’s retaliation in response to a suspected Israeli strike Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. Misinformation in the form of video clips & images is widely shared by some users on social media site X(Twitter)

Here’s the report showing recent misinformation associated with Iran and Israel conflict.

Misinformation 1

A video has been shared by many users including @SaffronSunanda with the caption: “Iranian suicidal drones can’t even damage an electric wire in Israel. In fact, the video is from Syria and was posted in Feb 2024. It is unrelated to the latest conflict.

Misinformation 2

An image has been posted by many users including Jackson Hinkle claiming that Iranian forces seized an Israel-linked cargo ship but the DFRAC team found that the image was from April 2023 when Iranian Commandos seized a US-bound ship that was owned by a Turkish & Chinese company.

Misinformation 3

A video depicting a night launch attack has been falsely linked Israel-Iran conflict. However, the DFRAC ‘s probe reveals that the video is from 2014 and captures the Ukrainian army shooting the cities of Donbas from the GRADs.

Misinformation 4

A video showing a sea of people before a mosque has been by several users like Global Eye News claiming the Joy of Palestinians hearing the news of Iran’s attack on Israel. On investigation, we found that the video has been present on Instagram since April 6.

Misinformation 5

A video allegedly depicting a massive drone strike in Iran’s capital Tehran has been posted by many users including @ConLibCon. However, we found that the video was from 2020 and depicted an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.

Misinformation 6

Another video showing missile launch has been fiercely shared by users such as @Novelnector and @Sahiya_ with the caption: “Iran’s missiles launching at full speed against Israel”. On fact-checking, it turned out to be from Syria which was posted in 2020.

Misinformation 7

An image depicting a massive explosion in a city has surfaced on X ( namely Twitter) with the claim: “Large explosion reported in Tehran.” However, the DFRAC’s probe reveals that this image originally dates back to June 2021 when massive broke out at an oil refinery near Iran’s capital.

Misinformation 8

A video showing a huge plume of fire billowing out from a city has been associated with the Israel-Iran conflict by @Partisangirl & other users on X(Twitter). However, we found that the video originally belonged to the clip from an attack in Crimea.

Misinformation 9

A video showing a fire scene has been shared by @warintel4u and @Waranalysis78 claiming that Israel’s Negev Air Base after Iran’s drone-missile attack. In the probe, we found that the video is from Chile & not the recent one.

Today’s digital era is substantially dominated by social media platforms and the escalating trend of false news and misinformation, which cannot be neglected. People need to be cautious and watchful towards the information that has been provided to them in the context of the latest crises.