False
Fact-Checked
- 16.03.2026
Viral video does not show Tel Aviv on fire after Iranian air strike; it’s from Syria in 2025
CLAIM
Viral video of Tel Aviv on fire after Iranian air strike
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 and a keyword search to trace the original video.
Multiple accounts were a video since March 15, 2026, on social media platform X, claiming that it shows Tel Aviv on fire after an Iranian air strike amid the conflict between the two countries. However, the clip is from Syria and dates back to April 2025.
Israel and the United States launched joint military strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, killing former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials. Tehran responded by launching strikes on US bases and other facilities in seven Gulf states and Israel.
As the conflict enters its 16th day, there has been no letup in attacks by Israel, Iran or the US. On the other hand, Iran’s Assembly of Experts has named Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as the country’s new supreme leader.
HOW IT STARTED
On March 15, an X user, who appears to be an Iranian supporter based on his past posts, shared a video showing the destruction of Tel Aviv, Israel, after Iranian air strikes with the following caption: “Watch something historic … Stunning and terrifying scenes in Tel Aviv as a result of Iranian cluster missile strikes.”
The post garnered more than 171,000 views.
Another user posted the same video, with the caption, “Tel Aviv ablaze tonight,” gaining over one million views.
The same video with a similar claim was posted by other users on X, as can be seen here, here, here and here; collectively gaining more than 439,000 views.
Another pro-Iranian user also shared the same video, but with a different caption, saying: “Urgent: filming from up close. Fires are raging at Dubai Airport, and the firefighting teams are unable to extinguish the blaze.”
The post gained over 239,000 views.
The same claim was also shared by another user on X.
METHODOLOGY
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the US-Israel war with Iran.
A reverse image search was conducted to investigate the viral video and yielded a video posted on Facebook on dated April 23, 2025, with the following caption: “A large fire has broken out at a fuel station in the city of Al-Bab in Aleppo. Emergency and firefighting teams are currently working to extinguish the blaze. The fire has spread to nearby buildings and cars, and several firefighters have been injured due to the intensity of the fire.”
A keyword search yielded a news report by a Syrian news outlet dated April 22, 2025, with the headline, “Aleppo: Large fire at a gas station in the city of Al-Bab”.
According to the news report, a massive fire broke out at a gas station in Al-Bab, east of Aleppo, on the evening of April 22, injuring 28 people, including two critically. The fire spread to nearby homes and warehouses and took about three hours to control, with seven firefighting teams and four ambulances responding.
Furthermore, an April 23, 2025, X post was also found by a Syrian civil defence organisation on the incident that reported the same details.
FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE
The claim that a viral video shows Tel Aviv on fire after an Iranian air strike is false.
The clip is from Syria and dates back to April 2025.
EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES
April 23, 2025, Facebook post:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1268415854710877
April 22, 2025, Syrian news report:
April 23, 2025, X post:
https://x.com/SyriaCivilDefe/status/1914873822211113045
MULTIPLE CLAIMS
At the same time, iVerify Pakistan observed multiple other claims regarding the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran. Here are more claims that were debunked by the platform.
Viral video of targeted drone attack on a hotel building in Dubai — MISLEADING
On March 14, a pro-Iranian account shared a video on X of a building on fire with the following caption: “A massive fire engulfs one of the hotel buildings in Dubai after it was targeted by a drone last night. O God, protect the sisterly Emirates and have mercy on its weak. *The video is forwarded from the pages of Hindus of Dubai on various platforms.”
The video itself had the following labels: “Huge fire breaks out at residential building in Dubai”, “Mall of the Emirates” and “Mall of the Emirates Al Barsha 1”.
The post gained 141,300 views.
Another pro-Iranian account shared the same video on X on March 16 with the following caption: “Urgent. Firefighting teams were unable to extinguish the fire in one of the buildings near Dubai Airport,” gaining 79,100 views.
The same video was also shared on X and Instagram with similar claims, as can be seen here and here, suggesting that a drone attack had targeted a building in Dubai near the airport.
A reverse image search yielded an Instagram video posted on December 29, 2024, by a UAE-based local entertainment website, with the following caption:
“A huge fire engulfed a building near the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. Footage of the blaze shows the flames spreading quickly through the tower as firefighters battled to control it.”
The visuals in this video matched those seen in the viral clip.
The same video was also shared by Gulf Digital News Online, a Bahraini digital news outlet, on YouTube on the same day.
A keyword search also yielded several news reports from Pakistani and international media outlets.
The Express Tribune reported on the incident on December 30, 2024, under the headline: “Fire breaks out in Dubai’s Al Barsha building near Mall of the Emirates.”
According to the report, a fire broke out in an eight-story building near the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai on the night of December 29, 2024. Dubai Civil Defence responded quickly to the incident, bringing the fire under control within approximately half an hour; no casualties were reported.
Other international news outlets, including Khaleej Times and The National, also reported on the same incident. These reports confirm that the video circulating online relates to an old building fire in Dubai and not to a recent drone attack near Dubai Airport.
Therefore, the claim that a viral video shows a targeted drone attack on a hotel building in Dubai amid the conflict in the Middle East is misleading. The video is old from December 2024.
Viral video of destruction in Tel Aviv – MISLEADING
On March 12, a Chinese user shared a clip on X featuring a seemingly news correspondent reporting on destruction in Tel Aviv after missile strikes.
The caption of the post reads: “Israel condemns Iran for launching ballistic missiles at civilian homes, causing many casualties, with soldiers still searching the rubble for bodies or survivors. When Israel was bombing civilian homes, schools, and hospitals in Gaza back then, Hamas was hiding under the desks. Israel has a nation under arms, so there are no civilian homes to speak of, right?”
The post gained 54,900 views.
A pro-Palestinian user shared the same clip with the following caption: “They made the mistake of fighting a country who could actually fight back. Ruthlessly…”
The post gained 408,650 views.
The same clip was shared on March 5, as can be seen here, here and here; collectively gaining 1.7 million views.
The content and claim were also shared on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, as can be seen here, here, here and here.
A reverse image search yielded the original Instagram post, shared by an Israeli social media user who appears in the viral video, dated June 15, 2025.
The caption of the post read, “Nothing comes without a cost. When Israel decided to launch a preemptive strike against the Iranian nuclear programme, that was a decision we knew would have terrible consequences and loss.
“Yet time and time again Israel and the Israeli people have stood up to terror and evil in the world. The simple truth is: Israel may be fighting this battle but it’s on behalf of the entire west. It’s clear - Israel is here for the world. Will the world be here for Israel?”
Iran launched missile attacks against Israel in retaliation after Israel launched major air strikes against Iranian nuclear and military facilities on January 13, 2025.
As per Al Jazeera, top military leaders and hundreds of civilians were killed in Iran by Israeli strikes, and 28 were killed in Israel, during the 12-day conflict.
Therefore, the claim that a viral video shows destruction in Tel Aviv after Iran’s missile strikes amid the current conflict between the two countries is misleading. The footage is from the June 2025 conflict between Iran and Israel — not the current fighting.