{"id":1806443,"date":"2026-03-04T12:29:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T09:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1806443"},"modified":"2026-03-04T12:29:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T09:29:05","slug":"fact-check-debunking-social-media-claims-about-the-iran-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1806443","title":{"rendered":"Fact check: Debunking social media claims about the Iran war"},"content":{"rendered":"

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https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/59i3l<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n
Image: Hamid Vakili\/Parspix\/ABACAPRESS\/IMAGO<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Fighting has erupted<\/a>\u00a0across the Middle East after Israel<\/a> and the US attacked Iran<\/a>, following a US military build-up in the region. The US and Israel launched their\u00a0massive joint operation<\/a>\u00a0after weeks of tensions and talks.<\/p>\n

Since then, a lot of false claims of attacks have been spread across various social media platforms and in multiple languages;\u00a0many of them are AI-generated.<\/p>\n

DW Fact check<\/a> debunked a few viral claims and put together a list\u00a0that will help you tell\u00a0fake from real content.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Video material about attack on girls’ school is genuine<\/h2>\n

Claim: <\/strong>“The video currently being circulated under the name\u00a0‘missile attack on Minab elementary school’\u00a0pertains to an attack in Peshawar, Pakistan, and has no connection to Minab,” says the translation of a viral post on X<\/a>. The post includes a video showing crowds gathered in front of a destroyed building.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot
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<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fact check: <\/strong>False<\/p>\n

The circulating footage is authentic. It does not depict an attack in Peshawar, Pakistan.<\/p>\n

On February 28, during U.S. and Israeli missile strikes<\/a> on Iran, a girls\u2019 school in Minab, southern Iran, was hit. According to media reports<\/a>, Iranian officials accused Israel and the U.S. of carrying out the strikes.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Israel reportedly denied<\/a> responsibility. These accusations cannot currently be verified independently.<\/p>\n

A UN report states<\/a> that around 150 people were killed. Iranian state media reported at least 165 deaths<\/a>. These figures also cannot be independently confirmed.<\/p>\n

Several media outlets \u2014 including the United Nations \u2014 have reported<\/a> on the strike. Verified videos<\/a> and photos<\/a> captured from different angles after the attack confirm the destruction.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A terrorist attack did occur at a school in Peshawar, Pakistan, in 2014<\/a>. However, video material<\/a> from that time looks entirely different from footage of the current attack in Iran. Grok<\/a>, the AI assistant on X, has incorrectly connected the Minab footage to the 2014 attack in Pakistan.<\/p>\n

Are these videos really related to the current attacks?<\/h2>\n

Claim: <\/strong>This video<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot
Screenshot of a post claiming to show a missile hitting Tel AvivImage: X<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fact check: <\/strong>Fake<\/p>\n

Although media reports<\/a> confirm that Iranian missiles hit Tel Aviv, this video does not show such an attack. It is AI-generated.<\/p>\n

There are several clues:<\/p>\n