Old explosion video falsely linked to Israeli strikes on Iran
The post comes from Sulaiman Ahmed, a self-described journalist who has repeatedly shared disinformation about the Middle East and the war between Israel and Hamas.
Similar posts spread across platforms and in other languages, including Spanish and Persian.
The image circulated after the Israeli military hit a range of Iranian nuclear sites, in an escalation of Israel's war with the militant group Hamas in Gaza.
Iran called the attack -- which killed several top military commanders and nuclear scientists -- a "declaration of war."
Oil prices soared in the aftermath of the airstrikes. But analysts told AFP price gains were capped in part by news that there has been no immediate reduction to crude production or supplies, as the strikes appeared to have avoided Iranian oil facilities.
The image shared by Ahmed and others on social media is also several years outdated.
Reverse image searches surfaced the photo in Iranian news reports detailing a November 4, 2020 incident at a petrochemical plant in Ilam, Iran (archived here and here). Rokna News Agency posted the photo to Telegram, saying it showed a "massive explosion" at the plant (archived here).
Further reports said the plume of smoke was in fact due to a fire in a waste pond that was quickly extinguished with no casualties (archived here, here and here).
AFP has debunked other misinformation about the Middle East, here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
18 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
East Chicago honors Hispanic political pioneers Jesse and Rosemarie Gomez
The 3800 block of Grand Boulevard in East Chicago now honors Jesse and Rosemarie Gomez, both Hispanic pioneers in politics. Jesse was the first Hispanic elected official in Indiana, Councilman Robert Garcia said. Rosemarie became the first Hispanic woman to serve on the East Chicago City Council after her husband died in 1979. Garcia represents the district that the Gomezes once did. The City Council approved the resolution last year, but getting everyone together for Friday's dedication of the new sign for Jesse & Rosemarie Gomez Way took time. 'We stand on the back of those elected officials,' Garcia said. 'I stand on the shoulders of their leadership and their legacy.' Their son, also named Jesse Gomez but with a different middle name, followed in his parents' footsteps, serving on both the city council and now on the school board. Gomez told his parents' story. 'My father's family arrived here in East Chicago from Mexico as trailblazers in 1916, and he was born here on April 14, 1920,' Gomez said. At age 12, Gomez's father and his family returned to Zacatecas, Mexico, later attending the University of Mexico, where he focused on political science. With the impending start of World War II, he returned to East Chicago to register for the draft and work at Inland Steel. After he left the mill, he worked as an insurance agent, an editorial writer for two Spanish-language newspapers, a radio announcer for WJOB's Spanish-language 'Hora Mexicana' program, and as a health inspector for the city. In 1963, he was elected 6th District councilman, the first Hispanic elected to political office in the state's history. He was re-elected to three additional consecutive terms, Gomez said, eventually becoming the 5th District councilman. 'Time with an elected official is interesting,' Gomez said. 'As a youngster, I remember that we often had a table set for eight at dinner – two for my parents, four for the children and one for the live-in family friend, Joe. The eighth seat was reserved for someone else, usually an immigrant who was first making their way here to East Chicago from Mexico, Puerto Rico or somewhere across the Atlantic.' 'My father was a good dancer, a great sketch artist, a fantastic chess player, a horrible joke teller and, in his mind, the greatest soccer player in the world,' Gomez said. Gomez rattled off a long list of achievements during his father's career, including serving as a Spanish language volunteer for the Pan-American Games and project coordinator for the East Chicago Vietnam Veterans Memorial, not to mention service twice as City Council president. 'That's a lot for one person to do in a lifetime. My father achieved that during his short time here on Earth,' Gomez said. The elder Jesse died Aug. 31, 1979, at age 59. Rosemarie was born Jan. 14, 1926, in Saltillo, Mexico. While she was young, her family moved back and forth between the United States and Mexico. She attended East Chicago public schools but left early to work at Inland Steel to help her family financially, Gomez said. She later returned to school and graduated from Washington High School. In 1939, Rosemarie portrayed the Statue of Liberty during the Mexican Independence Day Parade. The next year, she served as queen of that parade. Rosemarie, 99, has her own long list of accomplishments and involvement in the community. 'My mother was a great cook, a fantastic gardener, and she is one of the most loving, kind and considerate people that you ever will meet,' Gomez said. One day, Gomez said, his father told Rosemarie she needed to become an American citizen, which she did. 'My mother later found out that the reason he asked her to do that was so that years later she could vote for him when he first ran for the City Council, a race he won,' Gomez said. 'Together, my parents were trailblazers, in similar fashion to the way their parents were,' Gomez said. 'They were kind of the Hispanic version of John and Jackie Kennedy.'
The Hill
18 minutes ago
- The Hill
Graham says there will be ‘a change in tactics' by Israeli military in Gaza
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Sunday that there will be a 'change in tactics' by the Israeli military in its war in Gaza. 'I think Israel's come to conclude that they can't achieve a goal of ending the war with Hamas that would be satisfactory to the safety of Israel and that they're going to do in Gaza what we did in Tokyo and Berlin, take the place by force then start over again, presenting a better future for the Palestinians, hopefully having the Arabs take over the West Bank and Gaza,' Graham told NBC News's Kristen Welker on 'Meet the Press.' 'But I think going forward, Kristen, you're going to see a change in tactics, a full military effort by Israel to take Gaza down, like we did in Tokyo and Berlin,' he added. Israel has started a 'tactical pause' in fighting in Gaza amid mass starvation concerns, according to the military. 'In accordance with directives from the political echelon, and as part of the IDF's ongoing effort, led by COGAT, to increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering Gaza, a local tactical pause in military activity will take place for humanitarian purposes from 10:00 to 20:00, starting today (Sunday),' the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a post on the social platform X Sunday. According to The Associated Press, there have been warnings in recent months from food experts about Gaza facing famine, with aid being limited by the Israelis. 'People in #Gaza are dying from lack of humanitarian assistance – food, clean water, and other essential lifelines,' the World Food Programme said in a post on X last week. 'A ceasefire is long overdue and humanitarians should be able to reach all those in need, wherever they are.' The fighting has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and militants, and injured more than 130,000. The Israeli government said 895 soldiers have been killed over the course of the war, which began after a Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that left around 1,200 Israelis dead, with nearly 250 taken hostage.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Trump hits EU for lack of Gaza aid, says Israel needs to 'make a decision' with Hamas not releasing hostages
President Donald Trump blasted the European Union for not providing aid to Gaza on Sunday, adding that Israel must "make a decision" about how to handle the region with Hamas still holding hostages. Trump made the comments while meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland. He said that the U.S. has given millions in aid to Gazans, but claimed there has been no assistance from European countries. Trump went on to note that a deal needs to be made between Israel and Hamas to end the war and return the last remaining hostages to Israel, despite many of them being dead. "But we have a lot of bodies, and the parents want those bodies as much as they would want their child if that child were alive," Trump said of the hostages and their families. He suggested that Hamas is reluctant to make a deal for the final hostages because they feel it would be "the end for them" if they lose leverage against Israel. "You know, they had a routine discussion the other day and all of a sudden they hardened up. They don't want to give them back. And so Israel is going to have to make a decision," Trump said. The meeting comes as the IDF highlighted its efforts to deliver aid into Gaza after restricting the flow in recent months. Israel is now conducting airdrops for aid throughout the region, and the IDF says it conducted 28 drops in a matter of hours on Sunday. "Let me be clear: Israel supports aid for civilians, not for Hamas. The IDF will continue to support the flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza," an IDF spokesperson said, claiming Israel transferred roughly 250 trucks full of aid into Gaza this week. The IDF argues the reports about starvation in Gaza were a false campaign promoted by Hamas, but hunger is spreading across the region after the United Nations and the IDF previously failed to reach an agreement about aid distribution, Fox News' Trey Yingst reported.
