Fact check: Verifying images of war in Iran

"While some footage is real—especially that published by reputable, professional media organizations—some is misleading, recycled, taken out of context or artificially generated and simply fake. DW Fact check examines several widely shared videos that users claim show events in Iran."

"The US military confirmed on X that B-2 stealth bombers began striking Iran's ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs as early as February 28. The US started bombing Tehran from that date as well. A reverse image search shows that the video does indeed show bombing in Tehran."

"However, neither we nor the social media user in this claim can say with any certainty whether this video specifically shows '2,000-pound bombs' being dropped on Tehran, as claimed. The claimed date is also incorrect. The video was originally shared on March 1 and therefore cannot show events on March 4."

Following US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran beginning February 28, social media platforms became saturated with content claiming to document events in Tehran and other Iranian cities. While some footage originates from reputable professional media organizations and is authentic, much content is misleading, recycled, taken out of context, or artificially generated. DW Fact Check investigated widely shared videos to verify their accuracy. One prominent example involved a video with 2.9 million views claiming to show US 2,000-pound bombs dropped on Tehran on March 4. Investigation confirmed the video does show Tehran bombing near Shariati Street with Farsi audio, and the US military did use 2,000-pound bombs starting February 28. However, the specific bomb type cannot be verified from the video alone, and the original posting date was March 1, not March 4, making the claim partially misleading despite showing real Tehran footage.

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