Trending Now - State Actors Spread Visual Misinformation on Iran War
WHO:
Melanie Smith, senior director of policy and research on information operations at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue
Todd Helmus, senior behavioral scientist at RAND
Nikita Bier, head of product at X
Emerson Brooking, director of strategy and resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab
State-linked accounts associated with the Iranian government
Russia-aligned influence operation known as Operation Overload (also referred to as Matryoshka or Storm-1679)
WHAT:
A deluge of misrepresented or fabricated videos has spread widely online since the Iran war began on March 1, 2026.
A video falsely claimed to show an Iranian attack on a high-rise building in Bahrain, which was actually AI-generated.
The video contained clues indicating it was not authentic, such as two cars appearing stuck together and a man’s elbow moving through a backpack.
Pro-Iran social media accounts have exaggerated destruction and death tolls from the conflict.
Operation Overload has shared false warnings attributed to Israeli intelligence.
X will suspend users from its revenue-sharing program for posting AI-generated content from armed conflicts without proper disclosure, with suspensions lasting 90 days for a first offense and becoming permanent after that.
WHERE:
Iran
Bahrain
Germany
United States
WHEN:
The Iran war began on March 1, 2026.
Nikita Bier made a post on March 3, 2026.
WHY:
The misinformation is fueled by state-linked propaganda and influence campaigns, particularly regarding the narrative of who is winning the war and casualty figures.
The lack of information from the Iranian public is due to internet shutdowns and general censorship.
HOW:
AI-generated videos have been used to amplify narratives about military successes.
State actors have employed targeted content with a clear narrative structure to support their statements about the conflict.
Opportunistic social media users have contributed to misinformation by sharing old footage, video game clips, and their own AI-generated content.
Since the Iran war began on March 1, 2026, a flood of misleading and fabricated videos has circulated online, including one that falsely claimed to show an Iranian attack on a high-rise building in Bahrain, which was actually AI-generated. Experts like Melanie Smith from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and Todd Helmus from RAND have noted that state-linked accounts tied to the Iranian government and the Russian influence operation known as Operation Overload are amplifying these false narratives, exaggerating destruction and casualty figures. In response, X has announced that it will suspend users from its revenue-sharing program for posting AI-generated content related to armed conflicts without proper disclosure, with penalties escalating for repeat offenses.