Ballistic Fakes: Disinformation and Fact-Checking Efforts during the Israel–Iran War

References

Appani, A. K. (2025, June). A video of San Diego’s “No Kings” march is being shared as footage of Americans protesting against the US attack on Iran. Factly. https://factly.in/a-video-of-san-diegos-no-kings-march-is-being-shared-as-footage-of-americans-protesting-against-the-us-attack-on-iran/

Arabic News Health Investigation Service (2025, June 25). هذه الصورة ليست لحريق في إسرائيل نتيجة الصواريخ الإيرانية بل لحريق في فندق في الصين عام 2009 [This picture is not of a fire in Israel as a result of Iranian missiles, but of a fire in a hotel in China in 2009]. AFP. https://factcheckarabic.afp.com/doc.afp.com.62ZH7KD

Bhardwaj, S. (2025, June 20). इजरायल में मोसाद हेडक्वार्टर की तबाही के दावे से AI generated विजुअल वायरल [AI generated visuals go viral with claims of destruction of Mossad headquarters in Israel]. BOOM. https://hindi.boomlive.in/fact-check/iran-israel-conflict-ai-generated-visuals-of-mossad-headquarters-viral-28831

Bodkim [@bodkim 2022] (2025, June 14). Fake news distributed on social networks that Netanyahu fled to Athens, in Hebrew and in English. The quote from Ben Caspit is also apparently false. [Tweet]. X. https://x.com/bodkim2022/status/1933813518882443395

Bodkim [@bodkim 2022] (2025, June 20). Channel 14 shows the “Independence Day Plane in Iranian Skies,” Israeli planes in Iranian skies. The facts: This is an old fake clip posted on channel….. [Tweet]. X. https://x.com/bodkim2022/status/1936074986072293456

Bodkim [@bodkim 2022] (2025, June 22). The clip broadcast on Channel 12, captioned “Iran a short while ago” is not a clip that was photographed today. The clip was posted on Tiktok for example…. [Tweet]. X. https://x.com/bodkim2022/status/1936591851429023993

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Castroviejo, M. (2025, June 23). Esta imagen de un bombardero estadounidense B-2 supuestamente derribado por Irán está generada con IA [This image of a US B-2 bomber allegedly downed by Iran is AI-generated]. Newtral. https://www.newtral.es/b-2-derribado-iran-bulo/20250623/

Chowdhury, A. (2025, June 24). No, US bombers did not use Indian airspace to attack Iran. BOOM. https://www.boomlive.in/fact-check/us-airstrikes-iran-indian-airspace-claim-fact-check-28864

Duke, A. (2025, June 22). Fact check: Video does NOT show lightning bolt during US bombing of Iran nuclear facility. Lead Stories. https://leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2025/06/fact-check-video-does-not-show-lightning-bolt-during-us-bombing-of-iran-nuclear-facility.html

EDMO. (2025, June 13). The first AI war: How the Iran-Israel conflict became a battlefield for generative misinformation. EDMO. https://edmo.eu/publications/the-first-ai-war-how-the-iran-israel-conflict-became-a-battlefield-for-generative-misinformation/

EU DisinfoLab Research Team. (2022, July 22). EU DisinfoLab’s methodology to classify fact-checked disinformation: A codebook. EU DisinfoLab. https://www.disinfo.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/20220720_Methodology_FINAL-1.pdf

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FakeReporter [@FakeReporter] (2025, June 14). Note: The official IDF Twitter account posted a clip that in the beginning shows ballistic missiles fired by Iran on route to Israel. [Tweet]. X. https://x.com/FakeReporter/status/1933634358784524773

FakeReporter [@FakeReporter] (2025, June 15). 1. This message was disseminated in the past day on social media, warning people against telephone calls from Hamas and Hezbollah to Israeli citizens with the aim of locating them and harming them, [Tweet]. X. https://x.com/FakeReporter/status/1934193474837831844

FakeReporter [@FakeReporter] (2025, June 17). An account named “Yemenite Jew” (50K followers) posted a clip showing alleged damage from a direct hit to a Tel Aviv hi-rise building by an Iranian UAV. [Tweet]. X. https://x.com/FakeReporter/status/1934933562844709214

FakeReporter [@FakeReporter] (2025, June 18). This clip is running on the network and allegedly shows pro-Israel demonstrations in Iran – it was created by AI. [Tweet]. X. https://x.com/FakeReporter/status/1935431036495688122

Gault, M., & Maiberg, E. (2025, June 18). The AI slop fight between Iran and Israel. 404 Media. https://www.404media.co/the-ai-slop-fight-between-iran-and-israel/

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Ibrahim, N. (2025, June 19). الفيديو من عام 2018 وليس لعملية نقل صاروخ إيراني ضخم [Video is from 2018 and not depicting the transfer of a massive Iranian missile]. Misbar. https://www.misbar.com/factcheck/2025/06/19/الفيديومنعام-2018-وليسلعمليةنقلصاروخإيرانيضخم

Jo, H. (2025, June 26). AI image of crashed jet falsely linked to Iran-Israel war. AFP. https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.62Y23WD

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Madhusoodan, K. (2025, June 19). Old video of stampede at Florida Mall shared as chaos at Tel Aviv airport. Newschecker.https://newschecker.in/fact-check/old-video-of-stampede-at-florida-mall-shared-as-chaos-at-tel-aviv-airport

Madhusoodan, K. (2025, June 20). Viral video claiming to show Israeli soldier begging Iran for mercy is AI-generated. Newschecker. https://www.newschecker.in/undefined/ai-deepfake/viral-video-claiming-to-show-israeli-soldier-begging-iran-for-mercy-is-a-deepfake

Mahalanobish, A. (2025, June 18). More old videos of missile strikes viral as Iran’s June attack on Israel. Alt News. https://www.altnews.in/more-old-videos-of-missile-strikes-viral-as-irans-june-attack-on-israel/

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Misbar Editorial Team [فريق تحرير مسبار] (2025, June 16). فيديو قديم من لبنان وليس لقصف إيراني على مبنى للمخابرات الإسرائيلية [An old video from Lebanon, not of an Iranian strike on an Israeli intelligence building]. https://www.misbar.com/factcheck/2025/06/16//فيديوقديممنلبنانوليسلقصفإيرانيعلىمبنىللمخابراتالإسرائيلية

Misbar Editorial Team [فريق تحرير مسبار] (2025, June 20). الفيديو ذكاء اصطناعي وليس لإسرائيليين يعتذرون لإيران ويطلبون وقف الحرب [The video is AI-generated, not of Israelis apologizing to Iran and calling for a ceasefire]. Misbar. https://www.misbar.com/factcheck/2025/06/20/الفيديوذكاءاصطناعيوليسلإسرائيليينيعتذرونلإيرانويطلبونوقفالحرب

Moubayed, E. (2025, June 18). Video does not show Iranian attack on Bazan oil refinery in Haifa. Misbar. https://www.misbar.com/en/factcheck/2025/06/18/video-does-not-show-iranian-attack-bazan-oil-refinery-haifa

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Pérez, S. (2025, June 23). El presidente de Irán no ha presentado su dimisión a 23 de junio de 2025, la carta viral es falsa [The president of Iran has not submitted his resignation as of June 23, 2025; the viral letter is fake]. Newtral. https://www.newtral.es/carta-renuncia-presidente-iran/20250623/

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Ram, Y., Wiener, A., & Ring, E. (2025, April). Disinformation resilience: Israel stakeholder analysis report. Israel Internet Association. https://www.isoc.org.il/files/docs/disinformation/Disinformation-Resilieance-Israel-Stakeholder-Analysis-Report-April2025.pdf

Rappler (2025, June 19). Fact check: Video of Iran lawmakers burning U.S. flag inside parliament is from 2018. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/video-iran-lawmakers-burning-us-flag-2018-not-recent/

Ring, E. (2025, July 6). Fake news, real missiles: Israel’s Telegram crisis is a national security threat. Haaretz. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025-07-06/ty-article-opinion/.premium/fake-news-real-missiles-israels-telegram-crisis-is-a-national-security-threat/00000197-cffc-da1d-a5ff-effe6e780000

Shah, N. (2025, July 30). What the Israel-Iran conflict revealed about wartime cyber operations. Atlantic Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/what-the-israel-iran-conflict-revealed-about-wartime-cyber-operations/

Sodipe, L. (2025, June 26). مقاطع فيديو قديمة لانفجارات تُصوَّر زائفًا على أنها ضربات أمريكية على إيران [Old blast videos falsely depicted as US strikes on Iran]. AFP. https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.63DM9KF

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