After Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles in Israeli cities in response to Israeli military campaigns, social media users have shared an AI-generated video that falsely claims to indicate the destruction of Tel Aviv. The clip was created using Google AI and traced to an Instagram account that posts AI content.
“The footage has not been recorded in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon or Syria, but it has been recorded in Tel Aviv, Israel, and the video caption in Indonesian video on June 15, 2025 stated.
The Arabic text in the far right corner of the video reads “Tel Aviv.”
The 16-second video shows a fallen building and a damaged structure.
Screenshot of false posts captured on June 19, 2025, added red x added by AFP
Iran hit Israel with waves of drones and missiles overnight, killing three people and wounding dozens (archive link).
The attack comes after a massive Israeli strike on June 13, colliding with nuclear and military facilities, killing the commander-in-chief, nuclear scientists and dozens of civilians.
Longtime enemies continue to trade deadly fires in the most intense conflict in history, promoting the fear of introduced conflicts that could engulf the Middle East (archived links).
Iran's health ministry said at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,200 people have been injured, while Israel's prime minister's office said at least 24 people have been killed and 592 have been injured.
The same video and claims are available on Tiktok, Facebook and Instagram. It is also shared in other languages, including Thai, English, Bengali, Arabic, and Spanish.
However, reverse image search for keyframes revealed that the video was created using Google's AI tools.
Screenshot of Google image with AI label highlighted in AFP
Another search posted a clip in an Instagram post on May 28, a few days before Iran's attack on Israel, with hashtags such as #Southlebanon (archive link).
The account shares videos generated to other AIs, and its profile says “AI resistance.”
The AFP has now exposed other misinformation related to the Israeli-Iran conflict.
