AI-generated images and videos mistakenly shared as real footage of Khamenei’s funeral – Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka

Images and videos claiming to show the funeral of Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei have been widely circulated on multiple platforms in recent days. These posts emerged as Iran began an official memorial service and state funeral procession in early July 2026 following Khamenei’s death earlier this year.

However, our investigation found that both the viral images and videos were generated using artificial intelligence and do not depict authentic scenes from Khamenei’s funeral.

Claim 1:

A viral image shows what appears to be a huge crowd surrounding a ceremonial procession carrying Khamenei’s coffin in Tehran.

Source | Archive

Fact check:

Viral images contain signs of AI generation

This image shows some common indicators related to AI generation, such as distorted non-Latin text. Several banners contain gibberish or garbled characters that resemble Persian script, but do not form meaningful words or sentences.

Independent analysis using OpenAI’s verification tools confirmed that the images were generated by AI. The system identified an invisible “SynthID” watermark. This is a digital signature embedded in the image that remains intact even after screenshots and compression. The tool failed to detect “C2PA” metadata, a standard digital label that tracks an image’s history, but experts note that such labels are easily stripped away during social media uploads. In contrast, an embedded SynthID watermark provides strong evidence that the image is from the OpenAI image generation system.

Claim 2:

Another viral video reportedly showed aerial footage of large crowds gathered in Tehran for funeral prayers and processions.

Source | Archive

Fact check:

The accompanying viral video shows similar characteristics associated with AI-generated footage.

The video depicts a large prayer gathering held in a flat, open area that bears no resemblance to the actual layout of Tehran’s main funeral hall. Tehran’s Grand Mosala Mosque, where the main funeral took place, features a striking blue dome, high terraces and unique architectural elements not seen in the footage shared online. Check out the actual footage of the Grand Mosala Mosque below.

Analysis using Hive Moderation’s AI detection system reportedly classified this video as overwhelmingly likely to have been generated by AI.

Khamenei’s funeral is real, but these videos are not

The fact that the images and videos are fake does not mean that Khamenei’s funeral was fabricated.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a US and Israeli attack on February 28, 2026, during the early stages of the 2026 Iran conflict, according to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and other international news organizations. The funeral was postponed for several months due to ongoing military operations and security concerns.

Iran officially began a multi-day state funeral in early July 2026. The ceremony includes a procession in Tehran as well as religious commemorations in Qom, Mashhad, Najaf and Karbala.

Reuters reported that tens of thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran as Khamenei’s coffin was transported through the city during an official ceremony. Foreign delegations and Iranian officials attended the event, which the government characterized as a demonstration of national unity and post-war resilience.

The actual BBC footage shows a different scene than the one shown in the viral image. Khamenei’s coffin was moved by car within a fenced area. While the real ceremony was attended by thousands of people, the presence of a large, real crowd created an environment in which the AI-fabricated images could spread more easily. Therefore, the actual events differed significantly from the widely circulated depiction.

(Source: BBC)

(Source: NBC)

conclusion

Claims that viral images and videos show authentic footage of Khamenei’s funeral are false.

Multiple indicators, including distorted Persian text, architectural inconsistencies, visual artifacts, expert analysis, and AI detection tools, indicate that these materials were not recorded during actual funerals, but rather were generated using artificial intelligence.

Indeed, Iran held large-scale state funeral ceremonies for Khamenei throughout July 2026, and international news organizations recorded large crowds attending the ceremonies. However, the specific footage circulating online does not depict those events and should not be relied upon as an authentic record of the funeral in Tehran.