Since the coordinated strikes on 28 February 2026 escalated tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran, social media has been flooded with short clips and images that claim to show real moments and the aftermath of the unrest. However, we found that the viral clips below are unrelated to the event.
Claim 1: US Fighter Jets Dodge Bullets
Fact-Check:
The clip widely shared as a U.S. fighter jet evading incoming enemy fire is not real combat footage. It is edited gameplay from the military simulation game Arma 3, not actual footage of a U.S. aircraft operating in the 2026 US–Iran conflict. The creators of the game and independent reviewers have shown the same visuals in gameplay videos on platforms like YouTube, confirming this is synthetic content repurposed for social media.
Conclusion: Misleading
Claim 2: Iranian Missile Rain Hits Israel
Fact-Check:
The video actually dates from October 1, 2024, showing an Iranian ballistic missile barrage on Israel during that earlier conflict (often referred to in Iranian sources as Operation True Promise 2). See more about this event here.
This video does not depict events from the 2026 US-Iran escalation and is sometimes captioned in a way that suggests it is new.
Conclusion: Misleading
Claim 3: Ali Khamenei Funeral Parade
Fact-Check:
The video does not show a funeral for Iran’s supreme leader. It captures a large crowd at the February 2025 funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, identifiable by the yellow Hezbollah flags and reports from international outlets (such as here and here). Posts claiming it is a funeral procession for Ali Khamenei misattribute the video to the wrong person and event.
Conclusion: Misleading
Claim 4: 560 Americans Died For Israel In The Last 48 Hours
Fact-Check:
The clip circulated with this claim is not from the current conflict. It originated from a 2011 “Dignified Transfer” ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, a solemn repatriation of U.S. service members, posted by a Vietnam era photographer on his YouTube channel. That event is unrelated to any 2026 hostilities.
Conclusion: Misleading
Claim 5: Image of Ali Khamanei Body Stuck in the Debris
Fact-Check:
The image circulating online that purports to show the body of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei trapped under rubble has been generated or edited using artificial intelligence, not captured in real life. We found that the image was created using Gemini AI and contains a digital watermark known as SynthID embedded in the image. Crucially, no reputable news outlet, official government source, or verified journalist has published or shared this image as verified evidence from the field, and Iranian state and international media have not released any authenticated photo of Khamenei’s body following the confirmed strikes that killed him.
Conclusion: False
Latest Situation Update
As of early March 2026, the United States, Israel, and Iran are in a rapidly escalating confrontation after a coordinated U.S.-Israeli campaign that began on 28 February 2026. The strikes hit Tehran and other strategic locations and reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities and U.S. military bases across the Gulf, causing civilian and military casualties, and the U.S. military has confirmed that several American service members have been killed.
Fighting has also widened to Lebanon, where Iran-aligned Hezbollah has fired rockets into northern Israel, adding to the risk of a broader regional war. The spillover effects are already global: airspace closures and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have pushed up oil prices, even as leaders around the world call for de-escalation while military operations continue.(Source)
Title:Viral Images And Videos Falsely Linked To The February 2026 US-Iran Escalation
Fact Check By: PranpreeyaResult: Misleading
