Fact Check: Anti-war protests in Tel Aviv? No, old video from Iran goes viral
A video circulating online claims to show people protesting in Israel amid the war with Iran.
By - Rahul Adhikari
Claim:The video shows people protesting in Israel.
Fact:False. The video shows an anti‑government protest in Mashhad, Iran, that took place in January 2026.
Hyderabad: A video circulating on social media claims to show people protesting in Tel Aviv, Israel, amid the escalating war with Iran. The video shows people marching through a street in an unorganised manner, appearing to be part of a protest.
According to Al Jazeera, a small anti-war protest was held in Tel Aviv as the war entered its third week, with Iran launching missiles at Israel and claiming strikes on US bases in Iraq and Kuwait.
Several users shared the footage on Facebook and X and wrote, “MASSIVE BREAKING WAR UPDATE THE WESTERN MAINSTREAM MEDIA TRIES TO HIDE: Massive Protests are spreading in Tel Aviv and all over Israel. Protesters set the streets on fire and they are currently marching toward government buildings. Israel is in TOTAL chaos!”
One such post on X with the same caption garnered 928 thousand views, over 20 thousand likes and more than 6,000 reposts. (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. A video showing a protest in Iran in January was falsely shared as a recent protest in Israel.
Analysis of the viral clip
A reverse image search of keyframes from the video revealed that it dates to January this year, but not from Israel.
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) published the same video on X on January 30, stating that it shows a protest in Mashhad, Iran. The caption of the post said that security forces were opening fire on civilians with military-grade weapons. The footage shows several protesters being injured while locals attempt to help and carry the wounded to safety.
A user on X shared an extended version of the viral clip, stating that it shows a protest in Mashhad. The caption of the post suggested the footage is from January 8.
Mashhad protests
According to a report by the Human Rights Activists News Agency published on January 9, large protests erupted in Mashhad and across Iran in January this year after calls from opposition figures and growing public frustration over a deepening economic crisis and demands for political change.
London-based media outlet Iran International reported that on January 8, millions of people took to the streets in cities including Mashhad and Tehran. Protesters chanted against the government and called for an end to the Islamic Republic. The demonstrations quickly spread across the country, and security forces responded with a harsh crackdown, using live fire on demonstrators.
Based on available information, it is evident that the video was recorded before the outbreak of the Israel–Iran war.
The clip shows an anti‑government protest in Mashhad and was falsely circulated online as footage of a recent protest in Israel. Therefore, we conclude that the claim is false.
