AI-generated video falsely linked to Iranian strike on Mossad headquarters

Tehran: A viral video circulated on X and other platforms with claims that it showed an Iranian strike on the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv has been found to be AI-generated.

The clip was shared by multiple users, many of them appearing to be pro-Iranian accounts, from Thursday onward. Posts accompanying the video claimed it showed an explosion at the headquarters of Israel’s foreign intelligence agency in Tel Aviv.

The fact-check said the Middle East war had entered its 35th day with hostilities continuing. The conflict began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel carried out coordinated airstrikes on Iran’s military infrastructure, including missile systems and nuclear-related facilities. Iran later responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, US military bases and other locations in the region.

Several senior Iranian officials had been killed in targeted strikes, including national security chief Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani on March 17, 2026.

How the video spread

According to the fact-check, an X account that had frequently shared AI-generated content posted the video on April 2 with the caption:

Breaking: Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv has been completely vaporised,

The post drew more than two million views.

A pro-Iranian account also shared the same clip with the caption:

Please, for the love of all that’s holy, tell me this is true.

That post received 1.7 million views, while several other X accounts further amplified the clip, collectively drawing more than 18,000 views.

Iranian state-affiliated media outlet Tasnim News Agency also shared the video, saying:

Mossad Headquarters in Tel Aviv obliterated. Iranian military forces have destroyed the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv, with a strike that was executed with precision.

The post gathered over 15,000 views.

Why the claim was rated false

The fact-check said it was launched because of the clip’s virality and public interest in the conflict. It identified several visual inconsistencies in the footage.

According to the analysis, vehicles in the video continued moving despite what was portrayed as a massive blast. The smoke plume also rose in a highly uniform pattern without the kind of natural spread expected in a real fire. The report further noted that an explosion of the apparent scale shown in the clip would normally produce stronger lighting shifts and flickering reflections on surrounding surfaces, which were not visible.

The video was also tested using AI-detection tools. Undetectable AI assessed the clip as 96 per cent AI-generated, while Detect Video produced inconclusive findings.

A reverse image search led to an Instagram post dated March 4, 2026, carrying the same video with a different caption referring to Tehran. That caption read:

Breaking: Renewed bombardment reported in Tehran as explosions echo across multiple districts overnight. Thick smoke rises above parts of the skyline while authorities assess the scale of damage. The situation remains fluid with casualty details yet to be officially confirmed,

The fact-check also found an X post dated March 1, 2026, by an Israeli journalist using an image from the same video under the title:

Direct hits on Tel Aviv and Haifa. Casualties. Huge booms in Jerusalem.

The same clip was also located in a Threads post dated February 28, 2026, although that earlier version did not include the missing building detail seen in the later viral version.

These findings showed the video shared since April 2 contained visual patterns consistent with AI generation. A keyword search did not produce any reports from credible international media outlets about an attack on the Mossad headquarters.

The claim was rated as false and concluded that the viral clip does not show a strike on the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv.