Fact check finds visual discrepancies in viral video claiming to show Khamenei’s funeral procession
The viral video of Khamenei’s funeral was generated by AI. Photo: Screenshot
Based on past posts, multiple pro-Iranian accounts have been sharing videos on social media platform However, the clips are generated by AI.
Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than 30 years, was assassinated on February 28 in a US and Israeli attack, sparking a 108-day war that resulted in more than 3,600 casualties in Iran and the death of 13 US soldiers.
Iran called the attack unprovoked and illegal and vowed revenge for Khamenei’s assassination, while responding by firing missiles at at least seven other countries, including Israel and Gulf states that host U.S. military bases.
The state funeral of the late supreme leader will be held over six days from July 4 to July 9, 2026. His body was given a state funeral in Tehran and transported via Qom and Iraq, ending with burial at the Imam Reza Mausoleum in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9, 2026.
How it all started
On July 2, the X account, which appears to be pro-Iran based on past posts, shared a video with the caption, “Imam Shahid Khamenei’s funeral is not just a burial, it is an uprising against God.”
This post has received 741,000 views.
Another X user shared the same clip with the following caption: “This is the funeral of the Supreme Leader of Iran, who was assassinated during negotiations between the US and Israel.”
This post has received 219,700 views.
The same video with similar claims was further shared by X as seen here, here, here, here and here. Expand your claim further.
The same video was also shared on Instagram with a similar caption and received 14,000 views.
methodology
Due to the high virality and strong public interest in Khamenei’s funeral procession, fact-checking was initiated to determine the veracity of this claim.
Analyzing the viral video frame by frame, the team identified several visual inconsistencies.
From the 0:00 to 0:06 second mark, the crowd appears to be moving in a wavy pattern similar to flowing water, rather than the natural movement of large groups of people.
At the 0:12 second mark, a red flag suddenly appears in the middle of a dense crowd with no visible source or change.
Similarly, at the 0:15 second mark, two additional red flags suddenly appear in the frame. This is a pattern often associated with AI-generated content.
At the end of the viral clip, the text reads “Join the biggest funeral procession in history” on a white background. This indicates that the video does not depict an actual funeral procession, but rather promotes an upcoming event, contradicting claims that the video allegedly shows Khamenei’s funeral.
This video was further analyzed using multiple AI detection tools. UncovAI flagged 99% of videos as being generated by AI.
Similarly, TruthScan labeled it 71% likely to have been generated by AI.
AI Aware, another AI detection tool, also flagged the video as being generated by 68pc AI.
Additionally, a keyword search was conducted to determine if any reliable Iranian or international media outlets published or reported on this video. However, no results were found that matched the viral clip.
Fact check status: false
Claims that this viral video shows Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral are false.
The video is generated by AI.
This fact check first published By iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.
