Misinformation spreads as old clips resurface in US-Iran conflict

As fresh US strikes on Iran and Iranian retaliation continue, social media is being flooded with outdated footage falsely presented as new attacks. Videos from Dubai, Russia, and the US have been mislabeled as Iranian strikes on American bases. A 68-year-old nuclear test video was also shared as evidence of Iran mining the Strait of Hormuz.

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The resumption of US airstrikes on Iran, following a monthlong pause, has triggered a parallel surge of deceptive content across social platforms. Fact-checkers traced several viral clips to unrelated events, including a drone attack on a US consulate in Dubai and a Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian refinery near Moscow. One video even originated from a SWAT operation explosion in Virginia.

The most striking example involved footage of a 1958 American underwater nuclear test, Operation Hardtack I's "Wahoo" shot at Enewetak Atoll, presented as evidence of Iranian mining in the Strait of Hormuz. These clips accumulated hundreds of thousands of views across X, Facebook, and Instagram before verification efforts identified their true