The War On Iran: Four Viral Lies

As war escalates between the United States, Israel, and Iran, a parallel battle rages online—fueled by AI-generated images, recycled war footage, and misleading claims. This OSINT investigation by OBC dismantles four viral falsehoods, revealing how digital misinformation is amplifying panic amid real-world conflict.

On February 28, 2026, a joint airstrike by the United States and Israel hit multiple targets in Iran, including military infrastructure, command centers, and strategic sites. Several residential areas also fell victim to the airstrike, including a girls’ elementary school in Minab. The airstrike on the school claimed the lives of 165 people, leaving 96 injured, according to a Guardian report dated March 1. The Iranian state media announced that the supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, and several of his family members were reportedly killed in the airstrike on February 28. Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, wife of Ali Hosseini Khamenei, passed away on March 2, following injuries sustained in the strike.

In retaliation for the airstrikes, Iran launched missile attacks focusing on the US airbases located in the Arab Countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia.

During these conflict-stricken times, information warfare is also at its peak. In this OSINT report, Offbeat Concerns (OBC) conducts a thorough examination of key false claims that were circulated on social media platforms.

Did the Iranian Missile hit the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Riyadh?

Several X (formerly Twitter) accounts widely shared a photo that shows smoke rising out of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The viral claim suggested that the hotel was targeted in missile attacks during Iran’s retaliation. Khaled Al-Shamiri, president of the Political Studies Center in Yemen (according to the bio on X), enhanced the claim on March 2.

As of March 3, the post garnered 4,47,900 views, 701 likes, and 153 reposts.

Netizens flagged the post as fake and replied to the post, questioning the user’s intention behind sharing such baseless claims. A user stated, “I’m near the hotel .. And there’s no truth to what you’re saying.” Another user mockingly stated, “I was staying in this hotel at the time of the strike when the Iranians killed me. Now I’m talking to you, and I’m dead.”

Another X account, which claims to be the Iranian News Agency in Arabic, shared the same photos in a similar context.

As of March 3, the post received more than 5,88,000 views, 3,300 likes, and served as a catalyst in boosting the claim. X users replied to the post and flagged the photos as fake and digitally altered.

OBC performed a reverse image search and identified that the viral claim originated from a Parody account on X on March 1. The post, now deleted, received 49,00,000 views, 4,800 likes, and 778 reposts as of March 2.

We used AI detection methods and discovered that the viral photo is AI-generated. The AI detection tool powered by Hive Moderation suggested that the image is 99.9 % AI generated and showcased a high probability of being generated using Google Gemini.

Another AI detection platform, Image Whisperers, also stated that the photo is AI-Generated.

Iranian Missiles Hit Israel’s Nuclear Reactor in Dimona?

In the early hours of March 2 ( Indian Standard Time), the Cape Town politician Mehmet Vefa Dag shared a post suggesting that Iran targeted and destroyed the nuclear power plant in Dimona, Israel. The post was accompanied by a video that depicts a huge explosion filmed from a distance.

As of March 2, the post received 18,300 views.

Believing the post to be true, a user responded, “Wow, just loved it. I have never seen such an enjoyable view in my entire life. Allah bless the Islamic Republic of Iran. Long live Iran.” Another user highlighted that the post is fake and misleading.

We noted that another X account, GPX_Press, with a following of 1,79,100, shared the same video with a similar caption and amplified the false narrative.

As of March 3, the post received 14,00,000 views, 31,000 likes, and 6,100 reposts.

Using social media intelligence methods, we identified that the X account Jvnior initiated the claim. The post shared on March 2 received 16,00,000 views.

We found no credible official or media reports corroborating the viral claim. A reverse image search on the key frames of the viral video led us to a YouTube upload dated March 23, 2017, that carries the same video. The description indicated that the video depicts an explosion at an ammunition depot in Balakliia, Ukraine.

A keyframe comparison confirmed that both videos are an exact match.

According to News media outlets such as the BBC and Deutsche Welle, the incident occurred at the ammunition depot of the Ukrainian armed forces located in Balakleya. Thus, the analysis clarified that the viral claim is false and the video circulated online is not linked to the recent tension in Southwest Asia.

The Video Shows an Attack on Civilians in Dubai or the CIA Headquarters in Dubai? What’s the Truth?

On March 1, the Israeli writer Hen Mazzig shared a video on X that depicts smoke emanating from a high-rise building. The caption of the post reads, “The regime in Iran continues its nonstop assault on the Middle East. Bombing civilian populations everywhere. Dubai moments ago.”

As of March 3, the post garnered 22,300 views, 737 likes, and 247 reposts.

Responding to the post, a user remarked, “Come on. You’re better than this. Why post a 2015 video from a building fire in Sharjah?” Another user cautioned the writer to avoid posting unverified old videos.

We also noticed that the same visuals were shared as Iran’s missile attack on the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency’s Headquarters located in Dubai.

Taking a cue from the replies to the viral post, we performed a keyword search that led us to a YouTube upload dated October 20, 2015, that carries the same video. The keyframe comparison of both videos revealed that social media users propagated an old video falsely linking it to the recent developoments in Southwest Asia.

Iran Strikes on a US Base in Turkey?

On March 2, an X account, Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X, shared a visual claiming to show Iran targeting the US Incirlik airbase in Turkey. The video features a journalist reporting an explosion.

The post, now deleted, received more than 3,08,200 views, 1,900 likes, and 493 reposts as of March 2.

Social media users on Instagram also shared the same visual with a similar caption.

We identified the individual featured in the video as Haber Global journalist Mehmet Altunışık and found that he had shared the same video through his official Instagram account on January 9.

The Turkish caption of the post translates to, “The fighting intensified in Sheikh Maqsoud.” Sheikh Maqsoud is a Kurdish-majority neighborhood in the city of Aleppo, Syria, thus clarifying that the video is old and unrelated to the recent conflict.

On March 3, Mehmet Altunışık shared a clarification on his social media accounts, stating that the video featuring him was propagated online falsely linking to the recent conflict, and clarified that the visuals are not from Turkey.

According to the Daily Sabah report dated March 2, 2026, the counter-disinformation center of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate denied any attack on the US base located in the country.

Furthermore, on March 2, at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner in Ankara, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated the US and Israel’s attack on Iran is a “clear violation of international law”.

The analysis reveals how the social media contents about Iran’s retaliation against the US and Israel airstrike is shrouded in misinformation and disinformation.