Old explosion video falsely linked to Israeli strikes on Iran
Image
Screenshot from X taken June 13, 2025
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 of Israel's war with the militant group Hamas in Gaza.
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.
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
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
Iran's supreme leader makes first appearance since Iran-Israel war
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday made his first public appearance since the 12-day-war between Israel and Iran began. His absence during the war suggested heavy security for the Iranian leader who has final say on all state matters. The 86-year-old had reportedly spent the war in a bunker as threats on his life escalated. Attending a mourning ceremony on the eve of Ashoura, Iranian state television broadcasted images of him waving to a chanting crowd in the Iranian capital of Tehran. No immediate report was available on any public statement made. US President Donald Trump had sent warnings via social media to Khamenei after inserting themselves into the Iran-Israel war by bombing three nuclear sites. Trump had said that the US knew where Khamenei was, but had no plans to kill him 'at least for now.' Khamenei made a public statement on June 26, shortly before the ceasefire began. He said that Tehran had delivered a 'slap to America's face' by striking a US air base in Qatar and warned against further attacks by the US or Israel. Trump replied, in remarks to reporters and on social media: 'Look, you're a man of great faith. A man who's highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth. You got beat to hell.' Iran said that more than 900 people were killed during its conflict with Israel, and thousands more were injured. It also confirmed serious damage to its nuclear facilities and subsequently denied the UN nuclear watchdog access to them. It remains unclear how badly damaged the sites were and whether Tehran has plans to continue negotiations with the US over its nuclear programme.
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
In Argentina, a libertarian cartoon serves as Javier Milei's weapon in the 'culture war'
LETTER FROM BUENOS AIRES Emily and Ethan are friendly twins who travel through time with their grandmother. On their adventures, they meet various liberal or libertarian thinkers: John Locke, Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises. Initially skeptical, the twins end up eagerly listening to the lessons of these historical figures. Public assistance? That's bad. Currency issuance? Also bad, since it inevitably fuels inflation. Single-parent families are stigmatized: Children whose fathers have left are said to be more likely "to commit crimes and drop out of school." In Argentina, the upcoming broadcast of the cartoon Tuttle Twins on the public children's channel Paka Paka (starting in July) demonstrates the determination of far-right libertarian President Javier Milei's government to wage his so-called "culture war" against progressive values on every front, including childhood. Since its unveiling on May 22, this new program has sparked controversy. The arrival of the American production, which has been dubbed in Spanish, has also placed a spotlight on the international alliances the government is forging with conservative and libertarian groups. Milei, who has been in office for more than a year and a half, called for an international alliance in December 2024, declaring that Argentina could even serve as a "beacon for the world."
LeMonde
3 hours ago
- LeMonde
Iran's supreme leader makes first public appearance since Iran-Israel war started
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, July 5, made his first public appearance since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran began, attending a mourning ceremony on the eve of Ashoura. The absence of Khamenei during the war had suggested heavy security for the Iranian leader, who has final say on all state matters. State TV in Iran showed Khamenei waving and nodding to the chanting crowd, which rose to its feet as he entered and sat at a mosque next to his office and residence in the capital, Tehran. There was no immediate report on any public statement made. Iranian officials such as the Parliament speaker were present, and such events are always held under heavy security. The 86-year-old had spent the war in a bunker as threats to his life escalated. After the US inserted itself into the war by bombing three key nuclear sites in Iran, US President Donald Trump sent warnings via social media to Khamenei that the US knew where he was but had no plans to kill him, "at least for now." On June 26, shortly after a ceasefire began, Khamenei made his first public statement in days, saying in a pre-recorded statement that Tehran had delivered a "slap to America's face" by striking a US air base in Qatar, and warning against further attacks by the US or Israel on Iran. Trump replied, in remarks to reporters and on social media: "Look, you're a man of great faith. A man who's highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth. You got beat to hell." Iran has acknowledged the deaths of more than 900 people in the war, as well as thousands of injured. It also has confirmed serious damage to its nuclear facilities, and has denied access to the sites for inspectors with the UN nuclear watchdog. Israel also targeted defense systems, high-ranking military officials and atomic scientists . In retaliation, Iran fired more than 550 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of them intercepted, but those that got through killed 28 people and caused damage in many areas. On Saturday, Khamenei hosted a remembrance of the 7 th -century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein. Shiites represent over 10% of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims, and they view Hussein as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein's death in battle at the hands of Sunnis at Karbala, South of Baghdad, created a rift in Islam and continues to play a key role in shaping Shiite identity. In predominantly Shiite Iran, red flags represented Hussein's blood and black funeral tents and clothes represented mourning. Processions of chest-beating and self-flagellating men demonstrated fervor. Some sprayed water over the mourners in the intense heat.
