Users are employing artificial intelligence to flood social media with fake images and videos of the conflict between Israel and Iran.

Conflict between the two nations broke out after Israel launched a surprise attack on June 13 that targeted Iranian cities, nuclear sites and the nation’s top military command.

Iran responded with retaliatory air strikes, launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel. At the weekend, the US also hit Iran, striking nuclear in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz.

Among the fake videos circulating on social media are some that claim to show damage to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport from an Iranian missile strike.

Several different versions are being shared on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and X.

There’s no evidence Ben Gurion Airport was damaged as much as posts suggest. Photo: AAP/X

One clip appears to show damage to the airport’s terminal as planes sit on the runway.

A reverse image search reveals the video was posted on Instagram by user @3amelyon on May 27, 2025.

The account frequently posts AI-generated content and contains the description “resisting artificial intelligence”.

Ben Gurion airport is closed “until further notice”, and there is no evidence it has experienced the level of damage depicted in the videos.

Iran’s state media Mehr reported the airport had been targeted in a missile strike, but this has not been verified by other sources.

Other videos published by @3amelyon have also been shared online as if they are real.

They depict damaged fighter jets outside a hangar and destroyed skyscrapers.

Images from an account that publishes AI-generated content are being shared. Photo:AAP/X

All the videos show clear signs of AI, including illegible writing and cars disappearing or morphing into each other.

Social media users are also sharing a video that claims to show an Iranian missile hitting the roof of an apartment building in Bat Yam.

However, the logo of Google’s AI video generator Veo is visible in the bottom right corner.

The logo of Google’s AI video generator is in the bottom corner. Photo: AAP/Facebook

The fake video references credible news reports of a missile striking an apartment building in the southern Tel Aviv town.

A reverse image search was made on a recording of the strike shared on X by Israeli-based misinformation researcher Tal Hagin.

This showed the strike was near Defenders Square monument, which appears to match the location of the building shown in BBC footage of the strike’s aftermath in Bat Yam.

Hagin also pointed to drone footage posted by Israeli public broadcaster Kan News, which shows the building’s roof sustained minimal damage, while one side section was impacted.

Other social media users have shared the fake video with the Veo watermark cropped out.

Another video circulating online claims to show a burning building, with explosions of fire streaming from its roof. Text across the video says “Israel today update”.

Signs it was created using AI include the Israeli flag suspended mid-air.

Images like this claim to show events in the conflict, but they are not real. Photo: AAP/X

AI-generated videos depicting destruction in Israel and Iran are also being shared on YouTube and TikTok.

A June 14 video, claims to show “Iran today”, including fake rays emanating from a cooling tower in the distance, while emergency workers standing on the edge of a crater disappear.

A similar video published on June 16 supposedly depicts damage to an Israeli street, but people move unnaturally and turn into shadows.

An AI video shows fake radiation from a nuclear cooling tower. Photo: AAP/YouTube

Another post on Facebook claims to show the remains of an Israeli F-35 fighter jet shot down by Iran.

However, the symbol on the jet’s wing does not match official photos of Israeli F-35 jets, which show a Star of David surrounded by a white circle.

Also debunked are other false claims about the Israel-Iran conflict, including 2003 footage of Baghdad being passed off as current events in Tel Aviv.

-AAP