Iran
2019 video recycled to allege U.S. destroyer fleeing Iranian boats
Thai PBS Verify has found that a video claiming a U.S. destroyer fled Iranian gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz is old footage from 2019. It was filmed during the time of tension between Iran and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, claims about the U.S. F-35 broadcasting an emergency signal over the Gulf of Oman and the UAE have been tracked back to emergency landing reports in Chinese media.
May 13, 2026
Russia-Ukraine war footage distorted as recent Iranian strikes on UAE and Bahrain oil refineries
Recently watched over 1.4 million times, a video from the Russia-Ukraine war decontextualized and shown as Iranian strikes on UAE and Bahrain oil refineries during the ongoing Middle East crisis.
May 8, 2026
2016 military exercise video distorted as recent Iranian-U.S. clash in Strait of Hormuz
A social media page has shared a video, claiming the Iranian Navy launched an attack on US ships in the Strait of Hormuz during the 2026 Middle East crisis. Thai PBS Verify has examined the footage and has found it to be an old clip from 2016. The original video depicts a naval exercise to sink a decommissioned vessel off the coast of Hawaii—not an actual current event.
May 6, 2026
Dubai hotel attack in February 2026 reappears out of context
Thai PBS Verify has examined a post, showing smoke billowing above a luxury hotel, Fairmont The Palm, in Dubai. Although the post is labelled as a “breaking” incident, the video depicts the fire incident in February 2026. At present, the hotel is operating normally, and there has been no repeated attack.
May 6, 2026
AI video claiming to show B-2 Spirit bomber heavily damaged following Iranian strikes
Thai PBS Verify has detected a video on Threads, claiming that Iran managed to shoot down a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber over Bahraini airspace, resulting in severe damage. However, following the examination, the footage is found to be nothing more than an AI-generated video.
Apr 24, 2026
Decontextualized naval exercises in Gulf of Oman shown as Iranian attack in Strait of Hormuz
Thai PBS Verify has debunked claims of an Iranian 'Ababil' drone strike in the Strait of Hormuz, identifying the footage as a naval exercise from August 2025 in the Gulf of Oman.
Apr 23, 2026
Attacked Iranian warship video distorted to claim Iran’s strikes on Indian tankers in Strait of Hormuz
Thai PBS Verify has identified a misleading video on Threads, claiming to show Iranian warships attacking two Indian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Upon examination, the footage actually depicts an Iranian naval vessel being struck by U.S. missiles.
Apr 21, 2026
Fake claim about U.S. soldiers searching Pakistani officials before peace talks
A social media post claims that U.S. soldiers searched Pakistani officials before attending the peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, causing embarrassment and disrespect. Thai PBS Verify has found that the image was AI-generated and that no such incident actually happened.
Apr 18, 2026
Image of U.S. soldier captured by Iran found to be AI-generated
Thai PBS Verify has found a post showing a U.S. soldier captured by the Iranian military. After the team’s verification, the photo is likely to be AI-generated.
Apr 10, 2026
Gulf War footage distorted to show American pilot captured during 2026 Iran war
Thai PBS Verify has found a clip posted by a Threads user. It claims Iran’s capture of the U.S. F-15 fighter pilot, whose aircraft was shot down during the recent Middle East war, as well as the following interrogation. However, the footage is from the time of the Gulf War and has reemerged during the rescue of the American pilot in order to create misunderstanding.
Apr 10, 2026
Iran doesn’t attack USS Gerald R. Ford, but carrier suffers fire in laundry room
A post claims that the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford may be out of service for up to two years following an attack by Iran. Thai PBS Verify has found that, in reality, the ship suffered a laundry room fire, while the post’s featuring photos are AI-generated.
Apr 3, 2026
Image of missile attack on Tel Aviv found to be AI-generated
Thai PBS Verify has found that an image, claiming that Israeli capital Tel Aviv had been heavily damaged by missile strikes amid conflict between the US-Israel. and Iran, is 99.9% AI-generated, with no matching sources found in credible mainstream media.
Mar 25, 2026
Video showing F-35 shot down by Iran is actually simulated combat footage from video game
A viral video claiming Iran shot down a U.S. F-35 stealth fighter is actually simulated combat footage from a video game. While CENTCOM has confirmed that a F-35 did make an emergency landing and is currently under investigation, Thai PBS Verify has also concluded that the footage in question is entirely unrelated to the actual incident.
Mar 21, 2026
Iranian attack on Omani port incident distorted as U.S. strike on Iranian oil tanks
Thai PBS Verify has investigated a viral video claiming to show a U.S. strike on Iranian oil assets launched from their bases in Arab nations. In reality, the footage depicts an Iranian attack on a port in Oman.
Mar 20, 2026
Distorted video of Iraqis witnessing European allies’ fighter jets after strikes on Iran
A viral video on social media features a large squadron of fighter jets flying overhead. It is accompanied with claims that "Iraqi citizens witnessed European Rafale and Typhoon jets returning from Iran toward Israel." However, Thai PBS Verify has found that the footage derives from an unrelated event, having no connection to recent developments in Iran.
Mar 16, 2026