Fact Check: Video shows missile strike on civilians inside Iranian mosque? No, here's the truth
A video claiming to show worshippers fleeing after an explosion inside a mosque in Iran during an alleged Israeli strike is being widely shared on social media.
By - M Ramesh Naik
Claim:The video shows a recent missile strike or explosion inside a mosque in Iran amid the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran.
Fact:False. The video is AI-generated.
Hyderabad: The war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has intensified since late February, following airstrikes that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Since then, the conflict has seen continued missile exchanges, US strikes on Iranian military assets and facilities, and retaliatory attacks by Iran across the region.
Amid the ongoing conflict, several unverified and misleading videos have surfaced on social media, claiming to show real-time scenes of attacks and destruction.
One such viral video shows chaotic scenes inside, which appear to be a place of worship resembling a mosque. In the clip, people can be seen gathered inside the hall when an explosion appears to occur near the entrance or gate area.
The blast produces thick smoke, flying debris and apparent structural damage. Panic spreads quickly as people scream, stumble and rush toward the exits, with some falling to the ground while attempting to escape.
A Facebook user shared the video with the caption: “This is not AI. Bombing in Iran. The war that started with a fight for religion has intensified and turned into a serious war between countries. It has become even more serious with Russia also entering the field. Pakistan could not stand idly by and attacked Iran. Iran is ready to attack Pakistan.” (Translated from Telugu) (Archive)
A similar post can be seen here. (Archive)
But is the video real?
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The viral video does not show any missile strike in Iran or any real incident linked to the ongoing conflict. The footage is AI-generated.
Examination of the visuals
A detailed analysis of the video revealed several anomalies typical of AI-generated content.
The explosion expands in an unnatural manner, with smoke and flames spreading inconsistently compared to real explosions. Buildings and objects in the background appear to warp and distort, a common artefact seen in generative AI videos where visual consistency fails during movement.
Inside the prayer hall, the bodies and movements of people appear distorted immediately after the blast. Some figures stretch or change shape while running, while others appear to merge or flicker between frames. In several instances, individuals appear to disappear or reappear suddenly, or their posture changes abruptly between consecutive frames—behaviour that would not occur in genuine footage.
To further verify the clip, AI detection tools such as Hive Moderation and Deepfake-O-Meter were used. Both platforms flagged the video with a high probability of being generated using Artificial Intelligence.
We also found a video report uploaded on YouTube on March 10 by Mirror Now titled ‘US, Israel Hit Isfahan Mosque, UNESCO World Heritage Site Damaged As Iran War Intensifies: Reports.’
The report discusses unverified claims of strikes near Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan and possible damage to heritage sites. However, the report does not contain any footage matching the viral clip showing people running inside a mosque during an interior explosion.
The viral video does not show a missile strike inside a mosque in Iran. It is an AI-generated clip created to appear like real footage.
