AFP Fact Check

Screenshot of an X post with an AI label added by AFP

Images purporting to show American soldiers captured by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard have spread across social media. However, the supposed pictures were generated by artificial intelligence, as is evidenced by visual inconsistencies and the watermark for Google's Gemini AI tool u.afp.com/SuE8

"Our southern border should be like our front porch. There should be a giant welcome mat out front and a lock on the door." - James Talarico, US Senate candidate for the Democratic Party in Texas

Elon Musk's pro-Donald Trump political action committee shared a misleadingly edited video of Texas Senate candidate James Talarico that omits mention of the lock on the door from this quote.

Read more: u.afp.com/Su6T

Images of war in the Middle East are all over social media – many of them genuine, but some fabricated with AI. Learn to tell the difference with our open-access course on verifying AI-generated content 👉 u.afp.com/AIdetection

🚢 Days after war broke out in the Middle East, posts circulated claiming to show the US military base in Djibouti under attack by Iran. However, the footage was taken in 2025 and shows an explosion attributed to paramilitary forces at Port Sudan
u.afp.com/Su8a

Video of US naval vessel battling Iranian plane? FALSE

Beware of accounts trying to pass off simulations from video games as actual footage of the war in the Middle East.

This clip closely resembles the visual effects seen in the free-to-play title "War Thunder."

Read more: u.afp.com/SuWQ

Six American soldiers have been killed in the Middle East after Iran retaliated against joint US-Israeli airstrikes. Their remains, however, are not depicted in a video showing the return of fallen US servicemen who died in Iraq in 2011
u.afp.com/Sun8

Screenshot of an X post with a red x across it to indicate the claim is false

A clip social media users are claiming shows massive explosions in Tel Aviv has been mischaracterized.

The footage comes from a 2015 chemical blast in Tianjin, China, the striking visuals of which are frequently misrepresented.

Read more: u.afp.com/SuWm

People gathering in a square with Iranian flags and buildings in the background

Read more fact checks about the Middle East war here: factcheck.afp.com/list/Iran-0

🔎 Seen something else you think we should investigate? Send us a tip: factcheck.afp.com/contact

Screenshot of a Facebook reel showing a blast with fire and smoke in the distance

This clip does not show damage to Israel’s nuclear reactor, as posts spreading in multiple countries claim.

There have been no official reports that the Dimona research centre was hit, and the clip was filmed in Ukraine in 2017 u.afp.com/Supt

Screenshot of a Facebook post sharing footage of a fire and smoke beyond a street at night

Footage of another burning building has also been falsely linked online to the strikes in Tel Aviv.

We found this video shows a fire that hit warehouses in Dubai’s industrial Umm Ramool area in November 2025 u.afp.com/SuG6

Screenshot of a Facebook post sharing an aerial video of a fire and smoke over buildings

Iran has launched numerous rounds of missiles at Israel, hitting various parts of the country -- including Tel Aviv.

However, this widespread video predates the war and shows a fire that engulfed a building in the city on October 6, 2024 u.afp.com/SuGL

Screenshot of a Facebook post sharing a video of a fire in the distance from a rooftop overlooking buildings and a street

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Airbase, which houses US military personnel, was also targeted by Iran.

But this video does not show a fire at the base -- it was filmed at the Yemeni port of Hodeida after Israeli strikes in July 2024 u.afp.com/YemenPort2024

Screenshot of a Facebook reel featuring a fire on a street at night

The Emirati port of Jebel Ali, which hosts US warships, caught fire after an Iranian strike.

But this video spreading in multiple languages does not show the incident -- it was first published in July 2021 after a different blaze at the same port u.afp.com/Sugn

Screenshot of an Instagram reel sharing a news bulletin featuring New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani

Posts have also shared a video of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani purportedly ordering flags be flown at half-mast following Khamenei’s death.

However, the video came from a satirical account, and Mamdani has given no such order u.afp.com/SatireMamdan...

Screenshot of a Facebook post sharing an aerial image of a crowd with a gold domed building in the background

Iranian mourners took to the streets after Khamenei’s death, but this clip does not show the outpouring of grief -- it depicts a “symbolic funeral” held on January 15 in Iraq to commemorate the death of Imam Musa al-Kadhim u.afp.com/NotKhameneif...

Screenshots of three social media posts with images of a man in rubble, a news programme and rescuers in a collapsed structure

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the attacks, which US President Donald Trump said are aimed at destroying Tehran's missiles, navy and nuclear programme.

These images depicting Khamenei’s death, however, were made with AI u.afp.com/AIKhamenei

Smoke rising over buildings at night with lights in the background

US and Israeli attacks on Iran this week have triggered retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, sparking the spread of misinformation around the world.

Here are some of the claims that our global team has debunked so far 🧵

🏘️ After US Christian missionary Alex Barbir helped rebuild 35 homes for Nigerian families affected by violence, a video on social media appeared to place President Donald Trump at the handover ceremony, even though he did not attend. The clip was made with AI
u.afp.com/SufA

Screenshot of an Instagram post with a red X across it to indicate it is false

🇺🇸🗳️ YouTuber Nick Shirley is claiming more than 30 people illegally registered to vote at a UPS store in San Diego, California.

But the San Diego County registrar of voters and California secretary of state's office said there are no voters registered to the suite number of the store u.afp.com/SuwS

Security forces patrol a highway after a wave of violence in the Mexican town of Aguililla, the birthplace of drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera

The death of the most-wanted Mexican narco, Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera , the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel unleashed a wave of criminal violence in Mexico.

It also resulted in the circulation of AI-created images and videos on social media. Read more: u.afp.com/SuwZ

American ice hockey star Brady Tkachuk bashed as "clearly fake" a video the White House posted on TikTok in which he appears to disparage Canadians.

Read more: u.afp.com/Suw5

Almost immediately after Pakistan struck major cities in Afghanistan, including Kabul, a video supposedly depicting the attack spread across social media.

But it in fact shows the US-led bombings on Baghdad at the start of the Iraq War in 2003
u.afp.com/OldBaghdadBombing

US fedeal operation to take down 'chemtrail' program? FALSE

There is no evidence of a US government task force working to dismantle "chemtrail operations," despite claims of such efforts across social media.

Scientists have said for years that there is no evidence to support the existence of "chemtrails." Read more: u.afp.com/Su4T

Screenshot of an AI-ceated video of Ghislaine Maxwell

A video appears to show Ghislaine Maxwell walking down the streets of Quebec City, in Canada's francophone province.

But the account which originally shared it told AFP the clip was created with an artificial intelligence tool.

Read more: u.afp.com/AIMaxwell

Screenshot of the fabricated email that posts falsely claim proves Jeffrey Epstein was the inventor of bitcoin

A fabricated email spreading online purports to prove Jeffrey Epstein was the inventor of bitcoin. The message bears formatting errors and originated as satire, while the identity of bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto is still unknown u.afp.com/S6vS

Screenshot of an AI-generated image appearing to show former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte with Jeffrey Epstein

Images shared online appearing to show former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte with Jeffrey Epstein are fabricated. Our analysis found they bore errors indicative of AI u.afp.com/S6Fn

Still of a video of burning cars with Thai-language script over the top. Text on either side reads: "Video shows violence in Mexico after drug lord's death?" and "FALSE"

A Mexican security forces operation that killed drug cartel leader Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera sparked violence in more than a dozen states. But this video shared online is unrelated -- it was taken months ago during youth-led protests in Nepal u.afp.com/S6jA

'El Menchito' in custody on helicopter? FALSE

Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera's son Rubén was extradited to the United States in 2020.

A video circulating on social media claiming to show the Mexican military capturing him actually shows the the arrest of "El Espíritu," another drug dealer linked to the CJNG cartel.

Read more: u.afp.com/S6Hy

Screenshot of an X post with a red x across it to indicate the claim is false

🇨🇦 Ontario winter carnival footage altered to add anti-immigration chants.

Read more: u.afp.com/S6HL

The Malaysian Bar Association has warned of online scammers targeting fraud victims by posing as legal professionals and offering "recovery services".

We debunked several such ads, which local law firms said are impersonating them on social media u.afp.com/BogusLawFirmAds