AI-Generated Image and Video Falsely Shared as Real Footage of Ayatollah Khamenei’s Funeral

Images and videos claiming to show the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have circulated widely across multiple platforms in recent days. The posts appeared as Iran began official mourning ceremonies and state funeral processions in early July 2026 following Khamenei’s death earlier this year.

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

Claim 1:

The viral image shows what appears to be an enormous crowd surrounding a ceremonial procession carrying Khamenei’s coffin through Tehran. 

Source | Archive

Fact Check:

The Viral Image Contains Signs of AI Generation

The image displays several common indicators associated with AI generation, including distorted non-Latin text. Multiple banners contain nonsensical or garbled characters that resemble Persian script but do not form meaningful words or sentences. 

Independent analysis using OpenAI’s verification tool confirms the image was AI-generated. The system identified an invisible “SynthID” watermark, a digital signature built into the image that stays intact even if it is screenshotted or compressed. While the tool did not find “C2PA” metadata (standard digital labels that track an image’s history), experts note that such labels are easily stripped away during social media uploads. In contrast, the embedded SynthID watermark provides strong evidence that the image originated from OpenAI image-generation systems.

Claim 2: 

A separate viral video purportedly showed aerial footage of vast crowds gathered in Tehran for funeral prayers and processions.

Source | Archive

Fact Check:

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

The video depicts a large prayer gathering taking place on a flat open surface that does not resemble the actual layout of Tehran’s major funeral venues. Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Mosque, where key funeral ceremonies were held, features prominent blue domes, elevated terraces, and distinctive architectural elements that are absent from the viral footage. See the real footage of the Grand Mosalla Mosque below.

Analysis using Hive Moderation’s AI detection systems reportedly classified the video as overwhelmingly likely to be AI-generated.

Khamenei’s Funeral Is Real, But These Visuals Are Not

The fact that the image and video are fake does not mean that Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies are fabricated.

According to reporting from Reuters, Associated Press, and other international media organizations, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026, during the opening stages of the 2026 Iran conflict. Funeral ceremonies were postponed for several months because of ongoing military operations and security concerns. 

Iran officially began multi-day state funeral rites in early July 2026. Ceremonies have included processions 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 official ceremonies. Foreign delegations and senior Iranian officials attended the events, which the government framed as a demonstration of national unity and resilience following the war. 

Actual BBC footage revealed a different scene from the viral image: Khamenei’s coffin was moved by car within a barriered perimeter. While thousands did attend the genuine ceremonies, the authentic presence of massive crowds created an environment where AI-fabricated imagery could more readily spread. Consequently, the real event differed significantly from the widely circulated depictions.

(Source: BBC)

(Source: NBC)

Conclusion

The claim that the viral image and video show genuine footage of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral is false.

Multiple indicators, including distorted Persian text, architectural inconsistencies, visual artifacts, expert analysis, and AI detection tools, show that the materials were generated using artificial intelligence rather than recorded during the real funeral ceremonies.

Iran is indeed holding large-scale state funeral events for Khamenei throughout July 2026, and international news organizations have documented significant crowds attending those ceremonies. However, the specific visuals circulating online do not depict those events and should not be relied upon as authentic documentation of the funeral events in Tehran.