Viral video of attack on US embassy in Iraq is from 2019; unrelated to ongoing Iran war

none@none.com (CEJ) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 01:19:26 +0500

CLAIM

Viral video of Iranians attacking US embassy in Iraq amid ongoing war

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is misleading.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search and keyword search to trace the original source.

Multiple accounts and people on social media platforms X and Facebook were sharing a video since March 18, 2026, claiming it shows Iranians attacking the United States embassy in Iraq amid the ongoing US-Israeli war with Tehran. However, the clip shows an unrelated incident from 2019.

The ongoing tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran escalated into a war on February 28, 2026, when US and Israeli forces launched large-scale airstrikes targeting Iran’s military infrastructure, missile systems, and top security leadership.

In response, Iran carried out retaliatory missile and drone attacks against Israel, US bases, and allied assets across the Middle East, further widening the conflict. The situation has since intensified, with both sides targeting energy infrastructure and strategic locations, disrupting global oil supplies and raising fears of a broader regional war.

HOW IT STARTED

On March 18, a pro-military account shared a video on X with the following caption: “Breaking. They were set to seize Iran, but now they can’t even save their own people. Attack on the American Embassy by Iranians present in Iraq.”

The post gained 608,000 views.

A pro-Palestinian account also shared the same video on X on the same day with the following caption: “According to reports, a severe public protest at the US Embassy in Iraq. Demand to expel the United States.”

The post gained 48,000 views.

Subsequently, other X users also shared the clip, as seen here, here, here, here, and here; collectively gathering 234,057 views.

The video was also widely shared on Facebook, as seen here, here and here; accumulating a total of 62,800 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the ongoing regional tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran.

A reverse image search conducted to trace the origin of the viral video yielded a YouTube video dated December 31, 2019, uploaded by Euronews, an Arabic-language edition of a European international news outlet.

The video, titled “Watch: Moment Iraqi protesters stormed the US embassy in Baghdad,” contains visuals identical to those in the viral clip.

Euronews also published a report on the same date stating that dozens of Iraqi protesters stormed the US embassy compound in Baghdad following US airstrikes targeting Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia, killing 25 fighters. Protesters reportedly damaged the main gate of the embassy and set fire to parts of the compound.

It added that no casualties were reported and the embassy structure remained intact.

A keyword search further yielded multiple reports from international news outlets, including BBC, Al Jazeera, The Guardian and NBC News, all of which covered the 2019 incident involving protests and an attack on the US embassy in Baghdad.

No credible reports suggest that a similar attack has occurred recently, confirming that the viral video is from 2019 and is being shared out of context.