Fact Check: Iran attack CIA headquarters in Dubai? Viral video is from 2015
A video is circulating online claiming to show a CIA headquarters in Dubai on fire after an Iranian airstrike.
By - Rahul AdhikariPublished on : 1 March 2026 8:01 PM IST
Claim:The video shows the CIA headquarters in Dubai on fire following an attack by Iran.
Fact:False. The video shows a skyscraper fire in Sharjah from 2015 and is unrelated to any CIA facility or recent attack.
Hyderabad: On 28 February 2026, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was reportedly killed in joint US-Israel airstrikes on the country. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks across the Middle East, including the UAE, targeting U.S. and allied military positions.
Following the attacks, several old or unrelated videos surfaced online claiming to show the current situation.
One such video was shared with the claim that it shows footage of a burning United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) building in Dubai being targeted by Iran. In the viral clip, a tall skyscraper appears to be burning with thick smoke rising from the structure.
One user posted the clip on X and wrote, “Footage of CIA headquarters in Dubai targeted this morning by Iran, have emerged. UAE is arresting those releasing the footage. But they can’t hide this.” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. A video showing a skyscraper fire in Sharjah in 2015 was falsely shared as footage of a recent attack in Dubai.
Analysis of the video
A reverse image search of the keyframes from the viral video led us to several news reports indicating that the footage is from 2015.
A video similar to the viral clip was published on The National News YouTube channel on October 1, 2015. The description stated that a building caught fire on King Faisal Road in Sharjah and that residents were evacuated by the authorities.
Both videos show a tall building with blue-tinted glass walls on fire beside a smaller structure. We compared key frames from both clips and confirmed that they show the same incident.
We also found an image matching the visuals in the viral video in a report by Riyadh-based news outlet Arab News. The report stated that a fire had erupted in a skyscraper in Sharjah near Dubai, sending thick black smoke billowing several stories high. At the time, the Sharjah Civil Defense had not commented on any casualties.
Several reports and social media speculation suggested that a CIA headquarters in Dubai was struck during the Iranian attacks. However, major news agencies and government statements have not confirmed that any CIA facility was hit.
Hence we conclude that the video in question in more than a decade old and unrelated to the Israel-Iran conflict.
Claimed By:Social media users
Claim Reviewed By:NewsMeter
Claim Source:Facebook and X
Claim Fact Check:False
Fact:False. The video shows a skyscraper fire in Sharjah from 2015 and is unrelated to any CIA facility or recent attack.
Next Story
