A video allegedly showing an Iranian missile strike on a Bahrain skyscraper has circulated widely online — but the footage is fake, generated using artificial intelligence and shared by Iranian government-linked accounts to amplify perceived military successes.
Digital forensics experts identified multiple signs of AI manipulation: two cars on the left that appear stuck together and a man whose elbow moves through his backpack.
The clip is part of a broader wave of visual misinformation flooding social media since the Iran war began last weekend.
State-linked propaganda campaigns — particularly those shaping narratives around who is winning and casualty counts — are fueling the spread of fabricated content, marking an escalation in information warfare as AI makes fake imagery increasingly convincing.
By James Kisoo
