2023 Türkiye Earthquake video distorted as Iranian attack on Tel Aviv
Thai PBS Verify found the piece of disinformation on: Threads
A screenshot shows a post claiming: “Iran retaliates. Tel Aviv has just become a ghost town.”
Thai PBS Verify found a post from a Threads user named ‘socraticvibes,’sharing a clip of a damaged location with the caption: “BREAKING Iran retaliates. Tel Aviv has just become a ghost town. See the scale of the destruction.”
The post was published on May 27, 2026, and has gained more than 71,100 views along with over 300 reposts.
The video in question was in fact decontextualized
Thai PBS Verify examined a screenshot of the video with Google Lens and found that the images matched footage from the major earthquake in Türkiye.
A comparison between the Threads post in question and the original footage of the 2023 earthquake in Türkiye (right).
The clip was originally shared by an X user named ‘journoturk,’ a Turkish media outlet, which posted the same footage back on February 6, 2023, with the caption: “The result of the powerful earthquake comes to light in this video from #Kahramanmaras, the epicenter of the magnitude 7.8 #earthquake in Turkey. #earthquake #TurkeyEarthquake.”
In addition, when the keyword—especially the name of the province Kahramanmaraş—was checked through Google Search, Thai PBS Verify confirmed that a 7.8-magnitude earthquake did indeed strike southeastern Türkiye. The tremors were felt as far as Syria and Lebanon, with reports of at least 10 deaths and widespread destruction of buildings and homes.
A 2023 report on the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in southeastern Türkiye.
After a verification on Google Maps of extracted images from the video, it was confirmed that the location of the incident was Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, and not related in any way to events in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Another comparison between the Threads post in question (left) and the Google Street View image of Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye (right).
The actual location
What is the truth?
A Threads account named ‘socraticvibes’ shared a video on May 27, 2026, showing ruins of buildings and a heavily damaged city, with a shocking caption: “BREAKING Iran retaliates. Tel Aviv has just become a ghost town.” The clip quickly gained over 71,100 views. The fact is that this information and video are 100% false. The reality is as follows:
- It was a natural disaster, not war: The destruction shown in the clip was not caused by Iranian weapons, missiles, or drones, but by a “major earthquake.”
- An old incident occurred in 2023: The footage comes from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck on February 6, 2023.
- The location was in Türkiye, not Israel: The epicenter was Kahramanmaraş province, Türkiye, which suffered severe damage. Tremors were felt as far as Syria and Lebanon. There is no connection whatsoever to Tel Aviv, Israel, despite the claim.
Verification Process
- Reverse image search: The news team used Google Lens to trace screenshots from the suspicious video. The images matched a clip posted by the X account ‘journoturk,’ a Turkish media outlet, which had reported on the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, back on February 6, 2023.
- Keyword search: By checking key terms such as ‘Kahramanmaraş,’ further reports were found—including older Thai PBS coverage—confirming that a severe earthquake had indeed struck the area, causing widespread destruction of homes and buildings.
- Geolocation verification: Still frames from the video were compared in detail with the environment on Google Maps. The results clearly confirmed that the location shown was Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye. This proves beyond doubt that the video’s location was misrepresented.
Potential impacts of disinformation
- Spreading panic and war rumors: Using images of destruction from a national disaster with heavy casualties and claiming it was the result of a military strike is deliberate war propaganda, intended to stir fear among people worldwide
- Causing a widespread clickbait: The post reached over 71,100 views and was reshared more than 300 times, showing how false news that uses emotionally charged wording and frightening visuals can easily attract platform algorithms, boosting the popularity and visibility of accounts spreading misinformation.
- Distorting perceptions of Middle East security: False information of this kind misleads the public about military capabilities and violence in conflict zones, potentially fueling further misunderstanding and escalating tensions online.
What to do with this misinformation?
- Check official news outlets before believing: If an event as major as “a nation’s capital becoming a ghost city” were real, global and Thai mainstream media would immediately run breaking news around the clock. If it only appears as a casual post on Threads or X, assume it is fake news.
- Practice reverse image search: When you see clips of collapsed cities or frightening ruins, take a screenshot and run it through Google Lens on your smartphone. Often you will discover that the footage is from an old disaster or accident being recycled.
- Watch for exaggerated claims: Posts that deliberately use all-caps words like “BREAKING”, “WATCH THIS”, or language designed to provoke panic are often clickbait or politically motivated misinformation.
- Do not share, report instead: Once you know the information is false, never forward or comment on it, as that only boosts its engagement. Use the “Report Post” function on Threads immediately so the platform can remove the misleading content.
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