Iran’s attack on Israel: stolen images, false article… False information spreads about the conflict

A common occurrence during conflicts. Following Iran’s attack on Israel on Saturday in response to the deadly attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, numerous false posts appeared on social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter). Claiming to illustrate clashes between the two countries, some Internet users are sharing images of a redirected article, a distorted montage, or even videos taken completely out of context. Decoding.

Fake article about Princess Salma of Jordan

Several X accounts, some speak French, broadcast this weekend a screenshot of a Dubai website called “Emirati Woman”, apparently highlighting the achievements of Jordanian Princess Salma. According to the title of the article, the princess, a Jordanian Air Force pilot, allegedly destroyed six Iranian drones during Tehran’s attack on Israel. “In the turbulent context of conflict, Princess Salma bint Abdullah of Jordan has once again demonstrated her enduring commitment to humanity,” the text boasts.

But the headline highlighted in this screenshot is incorrect. The original article, available on the Emirates Woman website, actually talks about Princess Salma’s mobilization to airlift emergency supplies to the Gaza Strip in December 2023. Her mother, Queen Rania of Jordan, also posted a photo of the intervention on Instagram: at the same time.

Montage showing Palestinians celebrating massive Iranian attacks

Rebroadcast some Accounts on

The video is actually a montage combining clips from the gathering in front of the mosque. already visible X April 5 (date of the Night of Destiny, one of the main holidays of Ramadan), accompanied by an audio recording of the song “Labaik Labaik Ya Aqsa” (in French, “I am at your service, O Al-Aqsa”). We find this sound in TikTok videos from two years ago. as Turkish current account Malumatfuruş highlights.

Image presented as explosion in Tehran

According to some publications on X, the images showed that, faced with a growing Iranian threat, Israel took the lead by attacking Tehran first. Several accounts posted a photo showing an area of ​​the Iranian capital engulfed in spectacular flames, causing thick smoke to fill the sky.

However, these publications were flagged as false in several contextual notes about a fire at an oil refinery in the Iranian capital, dating back to June 2021. The photo, taken by a photojournalist from Agence France Presse, in particular, served as an illustration for a message from the same agency belonging to 20 Minutes, Le Figaro or even L’Orient-Le Jour.

Images of Iranian missiles flying from Crimea

Other images circulated on Channel X showed multiple missiles arriving in a city that is difficult to identify in the middle of the night. Some sources, including the widely popular Syrian Girl, claim that these are “Iranian missiles hitting illegal Israeli settlements.”

However, this video was not filmed in Israel, but in Sevastopol, in Crimea, a Ukrainian region annexed by Russia, as several Internet users noted on X. These excerpts can also be seen on the Telegraph YouTube channel. In fact, they illustrate the Ukrainian attack on two Russian warships in the Black Sea, which occurred at the end of March.

Fake video of Israelis panicking in the street

“The Israelis are in complete panic after the missiles arrived in Israel!! “We see people fleeing in panic and despair as Iranian drones strike Israel,” reads the caption of a video broadcast by several accounts on X. including some French speakers. In these images we see a crowd gathered on the sidewalk in the middle of the night, facing the crosswalk. Some people run across the road.

Problem: This video was not filmed in Israel, but in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in a context far removed from the conflict. As explained by journalists specializing in disinformation Shayan Sardarizadeh and Luis Galrao, these people gathered on the street are actually fans of singer Louis Tomlinson hanging out outside his hotel. The former One Direction member was then promoting his upcoming South American tour, as evidenced by a video from his TikTok account that aired a week ago.