The war with Iran has triggered a surge of fabricated imagery online, with AI-generated videos and photos purporting to show missile strikes leveling Tel Aviv or American troops captured by Iranian forces.

Israeli disinformation detection firm Cyabra reported that tens of thousands of mostly pro-Iranian TikTok accounts shared content reaching 145 million views during the first two weeks of the conflict. One notable video that received millions of views on X and TikTok depicted Tel Aviv apartment blocks collapsing under missile fire. Several images and videos purported to show Dubai’s Burj Khalifa skyscraper — the world’s tallest building — in flames.

Both were proven to be fakes. AFP noted telltale distortions in the Tel Aviv video, while experts found inconsistencies in the smoke patterns and lighting — among other problems — in the Burj Khalifa images. Moreover, people went on to post their own images showing Tel Aviv and the Burj Khalifa appearing normal.