In the wake of continued military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran on Monday, a surge of misrepresented and false images has proliferated across online platforms. This follows a major attack over the weekend that resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as confirmed by Iranian state media. The spread of misleading visual content has included years-old footage presented as current, fabricated claims of destroyed U.S. military assets, and erroneous depictions of war casualties.
AI-Generated Image Falsely Depicts Khamenei's Body
Claim: An image circulating online purports to show Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's body trapped under rubble.
The Facts: This claim is entirely false. The image in question was created using artificial intelligence. Analysis by Google's Gemini app detected SynthID, a digital watermarking tool designed to identify AI-generated or altered content, within the image. This confirms that the visual was either wholly produced or significantly edited by Google's AI models. The picture depicts a blurred-face body beneath debris, with four men in hard hats and safety vests using flashlights to clear the area, accompanied by small fires in the background. Notably, no official photo of Khamenei's body has been released to the public since his death was announced.
Old Footage Misrepresented as USS Abraham Lincoln Damage
Claim: Images and videos show the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier sinking or sustaining damage from an Iranian ballistic missile strike.
The Facts: U.S. Central Command has explicitly denied these assertions in a social media post, stating that the warship "was not hit" and that "the missiles didn't even come close." The post, issued after Iranian leadership claimed a successful strike, emphasized that the vessel continues to operate and launch aircraft. Many of the images alleged to depict the aftermath are, in fact, years-old. For instance, one widely shared image of a sinking ship with a helicopter above has been online since at least 2021, while a video showing a ship engulfed in flames originated from a Facebook post in June 2025.
Video Game Clip Falsely Portrays Downed U.S. Fighter Jet
Claim: A video shows a U.S. fighter jet being shot down in Iranian airspace.
The Facts: This claim is false. The video is actually sourced from a military-themed video game simulation. It features a missile targeting a fighter jet that performs evasive maneuvers, culminating in a loud bang and the aircraft descending toward the ground. Originally posted on a YouTube channel dedicated to such simulations in November 2025, the clip includes a caption clarifying that "all scenes are captured in-game for entertainment and learning purposes only," identifying the aircraft as an F-4 Phantom II. In reality, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles were accidentally downed by friendly fire in Kuwait, not Iran, on Monday, contrary to Iranian state television's claims.
Historic Footage Misused as Current War Casualties
Claim: A video depicts U.S. soldiers returning home in coffins from the conflict with Iran.
The Facts: This is inaccurate. The video shows the dignified transfer of U.S. Army servicemembers who died in Iraq during Operation New Dawn, which took place on June 8, 2011, at Dover Air Force Base. Originally uploaded to YouTube by a photographer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in the Vietnam War, the clip matches the currently spreading video through specific details, such as a plane taxiing in the background at approximately one minute and 57 seconds, and the consistent presence of a blue vehicle's front in the bottom right corner throughout the footage.
This report includes contributions from Associated Press writer Abril Mulato in Mexico City. For further fact-checking resources, refer to AP Fact Checks.
