False
Fact-Checked
- 02.03.2026
Viral video does not show Iranian missiles destroying Israeli nuclear plants; it’s old from Ukraine
CLAIM
Viral video shows Iranian missiles destroying Israeli nuclear power plants
RATING JUSTIFICATION
The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.
To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search to trace the original source.
Multiple users on social media platform X shared a video on March 2, 2026, allegedly showing a large explosion and claiming that Iranian missiles destroyed Israeli nuclear power plants amid the conflict between the two countries. However, the video is old from March 2017 and actually shows explosions at an ammunition depot in Ukraine.
Israel and the United States launched joint military strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, significantly escalating tensions in the Middle East. President Donald Trump confirmed that the US had begun major combat operations, stating that the objective was to eliminate imminent threats from Iran and protect the American people.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — who had led the Islamic Republic for more than three decades — was killed in a strike in the early hours of Feb 28. The attack was carried out by the US and Israel, both of which had previously called for regime change in Tehran.
Iran condemned the strikes as unprovoked and illegal. In response, it launched missile attacks targeting Israel and at least seven other countries, including Gulf states that host US military bases, and vowed retaliation for Khamenei’s assassination.
HOW IT STARTED
On March 2, a pro-Palestinian user shared a video showing a large explosion in an urban area, followed by a rising plume of thick grey and white smoke. The caption of the post read: “Breaking: Israeli nuclear power plants destroyed by Iran missiles.”
The caption further claimed: “Israel’s reactor and nuclear facilities were attacked by Fatah and Khyber missiles. According to reports today, Sunday, March 1, 2026, the Dimona nuclear facility (Negev Nuclear Research Centre) has been destroyed as the target of retaliatory attacks. Military and nuclear experts have warned that a direct hit from hypersonic missiles on the facilities could cause a leak of radioactive materials and a widespread environmental disaster in the region.”
The post was viewed more than 1.6 million times.
The same video was also shared by another account, GPX-Press, with the following caption: “Israel’s nuclear reactor power plant has been destroyed by multiple Iranian ballistic missiles, leaking radioactive material.”
This post received over 799,000 views.
A pro-PML-N account also shared the same video with a similar claim, stating: “Iran’s devastating attack on Israel’s nuclear reactor facilities using Al-Fath and Khyber missiles! Israeli nuclear power plants destroyed by Iranian missiles!”
The post garnered more than 72,000 views.
Other X users also shared the same claim, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here and here.
METHODOLOGY
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran.
A keyword search to corroborate the alleged attack on Negev Nuclear Research Centre yielded no news reports by credible mainstream international, Israeli or Iranian media outlets.
A reverse image search yielded a March 24, 2017, news report by Global News, a Canadian media outlet, with the headline: “One dead after explosion at Ukraine ammunition depot forces evacuation of 20,000 people”.
The report featured a longer video, and the first 10 seconds (0:01–0:10) matched the viral clip. It shows a large explosion in an urban area, followed by a rising plume of thick grey and white smoke.
According to the report, a massive fire broke out at a military ammunition depot in Balaklia, located in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region near the Russian border. The incident killed one person and forced the evacuation of approximately 20,000 residents. Ukrainian officials stated that the blaze was likely caused by sabotage, possibly involving a drone, and accused Russian or separatist forces of responsibility, allegations that separatists denied.
The depot, one of Ukraine’s largest, stored large-calibre artillery rounds. The explosion occurred amid a conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists.
The same footage was also uploaded on YouTube on March 23, 2017, in the same context.
Additionally, Popular Mechanics, a US-based science and technology magazine, also published the video on March 24, 2017. The explosion was also reported by BBC on March 23, 2017.
FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE
The claim that a viral video shows Iranian missiles destroying Israeli nuclear power plants is false.
The video is old from March 2017 and shows explosions at an ammunition depot in Ukraine.
EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES
March 24, 2017, Global News news report:
March 23, 2017, YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/MpwEZ_9VLD8?si=5rLkQi3MjR9kt4MC&t=81
March 24, 2017, Popular Mechanics video:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/news/a25803/ukrainian-munitions-dump-explosion/
March 23, 2014, BBC news report: