Iran is launched an attack The footage purported to show the impact of an Iranian missile strike on Haifa port in northern Israel, which attacked Israel in retaliation for a joint Israeli-American attack that killed the country’s supreme leader, was generated by AI. The port operator refuted the rumors and said the port was operating as normal days after the video circulated.
“Tensions in the Middle East reached a peak after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) launched retaliatory attacks on Israeli territory on Monday (March 2, 2026),” reads part of the Indonesian-language caption of the Facebook video shared on March 3, 2026.
“In this attack, the latest ‘Kyber’ ballistic missile reportedly successfully struck the port of Haifa, a major logistics gateway that handles 56 percent of Israel’s national cargo.”
The video appears to show a fire breaking out at the port before the accident. sudden explosion The surrounding area is covered with a cloud of smoke.
Screenshot of a false post taken on March 17, 2026, with the AI symbol and red X added by AFP
The same video was also shared in similar posts in English, Slovak, Thai, and Urdu (archive link) in retaliation by Iran and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon for the joint US-Israeli attack that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28.
In addition to targeting Israel, Iran has also violently attacked the United States and other countries considered to be Israel’s allies (archives here and here).
Although Haifa has been a frequent target since the start of the war and has been hit by heavy artillery fire from both Lebanon and Iran, circulating videos do not show any explosions in the port city (archive link).
The location shown in the clip bears no resemblance to the Google Street View image of the port (archived link).
The events depicted also contradict statements issued by the Indian multinational conglomerate Adani Group. Adani Group owns the Haifa Port Company and oversees the operation of Israel’s largest port (archive link).
“All port assets and infrastructure are fully secure and operational,” the group said on March 3, the day the false post was shared (archive link).
Another statement issued on March 12 said operations at the port were “normal” and refuted claims that the port had been destroyed by Iranian missiles (archive link).
Indian media NDTV broadcast footage from the port on the same day, but no major destruction was seen (archive link).
Additionally, the videos in circulation contain visual inconsistencies that often occur in AI-generated content, such as strange vehicles on the street or distorted buildings.
It appears that what appeared to be a crane barge in the port also disappeared when the explosion occurred.
Screenshot of accidentally shared video where AFP highlights visual discrepancies and adds AI symbols
Further analysis by human rights organization WITNESS’ Deepfake Rapid Response Force (DRRF) also found that the video was “likely fake/edited” and “likely to have been synthesized” (archive link).
Record.ai, a member of the effort, told AFP that analysis of individual frames of the video identified inconsistencies in the texture and appearance of the smoke, as well as inconsistencies in the building’s lighting.
Another analysis by Cauth AI, another member of the DRRF, said: “A shock wave of this magnitude would cause immediate and catastrophic damage.”
“The video shows a white shock wave passing through the building and over the road below, but windows remain intact and cars on the road are not moved.”
AFP news agency debunked other misinformation related to the Middle East wars.
