Missiles, Myths and Malta: How Unrelated and AI-Generated Videos Went Viral After Iran’s Kuwait Strike

As Iran’s missile strike on a US military base in Kuwait dominated headlines, social media was flooded with dramatic videos claiming to show the attack and its aftermath. OBC found that some of the most widely shared visuals were either unrelated footage from Malta or AI-generated videos.

On June 1, Iran launched missiles toward a US military base in Kuwait in what was widely seen as a significant escalation between Washington and Tehran since the inconsistent ceasefire that came into effect on April 8. The attack followed a series of reported US strikes on Iranian military assets and drone facilities near Bandar Abbas. Reports indicated that debris from an intercepted missile fell inside Ali Al Salem Air Base, damaging two MQ-9 Reaper drones and injuring several American personnel.

Shortly after the strike, several unrelated and misleading visuals began circulating online. Some posts shared unrelated footage, while others amplified AI-generated images as authentic scenes from the attack.

This report examines the viral videos shared as footage of the Iranian attack on a US base in Kuwait and investigates whether they genuinely depict the events of June 1.

Malta video shared as footage from Kuwait

On June 1, the X account IRGC NEWS (@IRGC_IRAN_News) posted a video showing a large explosion and thick smoke rising into the air, claiming it depicted a new Iranian missile strike on US military positions in Kuwait. The post carried the caption, “JUST IN: Iran Hits U.S. Bases in Kuwait Again; Tensions Reach Critical Level,” and further claimed that Iran had launched a new missile attack on American military installations in the country.

As of June 2, the post had amassed more than 5,60,000 views, 7,900 likes, and 2,300 reposts.

A user responded to the post stating that Iran is reigniting the war as the US blockade is allegedly destroying its economy. A few other users pointed out that the video shows a fire accident that occurred in Malta.

We performed a reverse image search on keyframes from the viral video and found that Guardian News shared the same video on YouTube on June 1, indicating that it showed an explosion at a fireworks factory in Malta.

The explosion occurred at the Ta’ Lourdes fireworks factory in northern Malta on 1 June, damaging nearby buildings and injuring at least two people.

AI generated visuals viral

Another widely shared post came from the X account IRAN ARMY (@IranArmySpoofX) on June 1. The post shared two videos with the caption, “Iran has launched a ballistic missile attack on a US base in Kuwait. There is no longer any safe place; leave immediately.”

The post included a split-screen video. One clip appeared to show projectiles over a military base, while the other featured a tearful woman in military uniform. The woman is heard saying, “I really miss home”.

Social media users responded to the post, suggesting that the visuals are fake and AI-generated. Notably, X had already labelled the content as ‘Made with AI’.

Despite X’s AI label, the post garnered more than 21,00,000 views, 10,000 likes, and 1,800 reposts.

We analysed both videos using AI detection tools and found that they were AI-generated.

We also noticed that these visuals had been shared earlier in February 2026, linking it to the aftermath of Iran’s attack on the US base in Southwest Asia.

The analysis revealed that neither of the viral videos was related to Iran’s missile strike on the US military base in Kuwait. While one clip actually showed an explosion at a fireworks factory in Malta, the other consisted of AI-generated visuals that were falsely shared as footage from the attack.