After Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into Israeli cities in response to Israel’s military campaign, social media users shared an AI-generated video falsely claiming it shows the destruction in Tel Aviv. The clip was made using Google AI and was traced to an Instagram account that posts AI content. 

“This footage is not recorded in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, or Syria, but in Tel Aviv, Israel, showing the destruction of some buildings in the city after an Iranian hypersonic missile attack,” says the Indonesian-language caption of a video on X on June 15, 2025.

Arabic-language text in the video’s top-right corner reads, “Tel Aviv”.

The 16-second video shows toppled buildings and damaged structures.

Iran hit Israel with waves of drone and missile strikes overnight, killing three people and wounding dozens (archived link).

The attack came after Israel’s massive strikes on June 13, which hit nuclear and military facilities, and killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and dozens of civilians.

The longtime foes have continued to trade deadly fire in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East (archived link).

Iran’s health ministry said at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded, while Israel’s prime minister’s office said at least 24 people have been killed and 592 others injured.

The same video and claim have circulated on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. It has also been shared in other languages including Thai, English, Bengali, Arabic and Spanish.

However, a reverse image search of the keyframes revealed the video was made using Google’s AI tools.

Another search found the clip was posted in an Instagram post on May 28, days before Iran’s attack on Israel, alongside hashtags such as #southlebanon (archived link).

The account has shared other AI-generated videos, and its profile reads “AI resistance”.

AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the Israel-Iran conflict here.