CLAIM

Viral video of fire at Dubai airport after Iranian strike

RATING JUSTIFICATION

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

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

Multiple social media accounts have been sharing a video since March 16, 2026, claiming that it shows a fire at the Dubai International Airport following an airstrike by Iran. However, the footage is from August 2020 and shows a fire at a market in Ajman.

The US-Israel war with Iran, which broke out on February 28, has escalated into a conflict in the Middle East as Tehran continues to retaliate with attacks on Tel Aviv and Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

On March 17, a drone attack sparked a fire at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, located east of Dubai, reports Al Jazeera. According to the government, no casualties were reported.

HOW IT STARTED

On March 16, an X user, who calls himself a media personality in his bio, shared a video showing huge plumes of smoke as a massive fire engulfed a structure. “Fires they couldn’t extinguish, and they issued statements saying it had been extinguished, but the Indians are capturing the scenes live,” reads the caption.

The post gained 1.2 million views.

The same clip was also shared by another X user, who describes himself as a Canadian journalist, with the caption: “Dubai’s international airport is up in flames. All thanks to one man’s careless actions.”

The post racked up over 3 million views.

The video was subsequently shared widely by other X users, too, as seen here, here, here, here, and here; collectively gaining 1.4m views.

The clip was also widely shared on Facebook, as seen here, here, here and here.

Turkish media outlet ANF News also used a screenshot from the video in a report dated March 17, which covered Iranian attacks on Gulf countries.

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 closer analysis of the video reveals a signboard visible at the 0:08 mark reading “Ajman Services Complex,” indicating the footage was not filmed at or near the Dubai airport. It must be noted that the distance between Ajman and the Dubai International Airport is 30 kilometres, or approximately 54 minutes.

When a Google reverse image search was conducted, it yielded a report by Russian news channel RT, dated August 5, 2020, with the title: “HUGE BLAZE breaks out at food market in Ajman, UAE.” It stated that the fire broke out at a fruit and vegetable market in Ajman.

The search also led the team to a report by UAE-based news outlet The National, dated 6 August 2020, which confirmed that more than 100 shops were destroyed in a fire at the Iranian souq in Ajman’s industrial area on August 5, 2020.

The BBC also carried a similar report on the same date.

Moreover, a keyword search revealed that a drone strike did cause a fire at a Dubai airport fuel tank on March 16, but it was quickly contained, as reported by Al Jazeera and the New York Post.

The visuals of the fire used by both news outlets, as seen below, did not match the viral clip.

The reports said that firefighters were able to contain the blaze, and no injuries were reported. Meanwhile, flights resumed a few hours later.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows a fire at the Dubai airport following an Iranian strike is false.

The clip is from August 2020, when a blaze erupted at a food market in Ajman.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES:

August 5, 2020, RT report:
http://rt.com/news/497198-ajman-market-fire-uae/

August 5, 2020, The National report:
http://thenationalnews.com/uae/ajman-fire-dozens-of-shops-destroyed-as-investigation-into-cause-of-blaze-is-under-way-1.1059789

August 5, 2020, BBC report:
https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/world-53670965

March 16, 2026, Al Jazeera report:
https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/16/fire-erupts-at-dubai-airport-following-drone-attack

March 16, 2026, New York Post report:
https://nypost.com/2026/03/16/world-news/iranian-drone-strike-takes-out-fuel-tank-at-dubai-airport-temporarily-halting-flights/

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 Iran missile attack on US base in Qatar — FALSE

On March 16, a pro-Iranian user shared a video on X, allegedly showing Tehran’s missile attack on a US base in Qatar. The caption of the post read: “Haydariyah. At the American base in Qatar. Close-up clip of the strike”.

The post gained 1.1 million views.

Another pro-Iranian account shared the same video with a similar caption, gaining over 923,000 views.

Other X users also shared the same claim, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here and here, collectively gaining 1.1m views.

Inspecting the footage closely revealed several visual inconsistencies: at the 0:02-second frame, an object can be seen beside a white car, at 0:06 seconds, that object turns into a deformed human and walks towards the wall and then disappears.

Similarly, at the 0:06-second mark, two people can be seen getting unevenly morphed, with blurred legs, heads, and hands.

Analysing the clip using AI detection tool Hive Moderation, flagged the video as 80 per cent AI-generated.

Therefore, the claim that the viral video shows Iran’s missile attack on a US base in Qatar is false. The video is AI-generated.

High-rise buildings catch fire after Iranian missile strikes in Tel Aviv - FALSE

On March 16, 2026, a pro-PTI account on social media platform X shared a video allegedly showing high-rise buildings on fire after Iranian missile strikes. “Today, in the evening, scenes of destruction in Israel; Iran’s control over Israel’s skies is improving with each passing day,” reads the caption.

The post gained 141,400 views.

A pro-Iranian account also shared the same video on X with the caption: “Breaking: Massive explosions are rocking Tel Aviv, shaking cities across Israel. Share this so the whole world can see it.”

The post gained 172,000 views.

The same video was also shared by several other users on X with similar claims, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, and here; collectively gaining more than 395,000 views.

A reverse image search conducted to investigate the viral clip yielded an Instagram video posted on November 27, 2025, with the caption: “Heartbreaking scenes from China. Towers are still burning as we speak. Flames are taking over everything in seconds. Praying for everyone affected.”

The visuals in this video match those circulating in the viral clip.

The same video was also shared by Dawn on its TikTok account on the same day, indicating that the video relates to a fire incident at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Hong Kong, China, and is unrelated to the US-Israel war with Iran.

A keyword search also yielded multiple news reports from Pakistani and international media outlets. The Express Tribune reported on the incident on November 27, 2025, with the headline: “Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 83 as scores of residents remain missing.”

According to the report, a massive fire broke out at a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, resulting in dozens of fatalities and widespread destruction.

The incident was also covered by several international news outlets, including DW, The Guardian, and ABC News, all of which reported on the large-scale fire in Hong Kong in November 2025.

Therefore, the claim that a viral video shows high-rise buildings caught fire after Iranian missile strikes in Tel Aviv is false. The video is of a fire incident at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Hong Kong, China.

Viral video of Iranian Army deployment amid ongoing war – False

On March 15, a pro-Iranian user shared a video on X of army soldiers mobilising, claiming that it shows the Iranian military amid the conflict with the US and Israel.

“Breaking: Iran has taken control of every corner of the country. The army is on every inch of Israel and America. Iran’s army has deployed its forces on all four sides of the country to encourage them to fight; it’s clearly visible from the footage,” the caption reads.

The post gained 375,000 views.

A pro-Iranian digital media outlet shared the same video in a similar context on X with the following caption: “Breaking: Iran has reportedly secured every corner of the country. Military forces are deployed. Amid tensions with Israel and the United States, the Iranian army has positioned troops around the country. Footage circulating online appears to show deployments.”

The video accumulated 988,000 views.

The video was also shared by another user on X. The post garnered 93,000 views.

Similarly, the video was shared by several other pro-Iranian users on X as can be seen here, here, and here.

A close examination of the video shows that the flags on the armoured vehicles are not Iranian, but belong to Kurdistan, an autonomous region of Iraq.

A reverse image search yielded the same video shared by an Instagram user dated February 7, 2026, before the war started.

The video was captioned: “The Kurdistan Army did not allow ISIS terrorists to pass through their territory; they made life a living hell for them. The greatest fear of this dark organisation was being defeated by a Kurdish woman. Because the brave and determined female fighters of Kurdistan buried every terrorist in the darkness of history while defending their honour, their people, and their land, this resistance was not only a military victory; it was a declaration to the world of the Kurdish people’s honour, will, and passion for freedom.”

A keyword search yielded reports by several digital media outlets wherein visuals similar to those in the viral video were shared, such as USA Today, Voice of America, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, DW and Euronews.

According to the reports, a joint operation was carried out by Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga troops, which liberated a 200 sq km area around Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

Furthermore, as the video is a combination of several short clips, one of the shares of the viral video was also labelled as AI-generated by X.

Therefore, the claim that a viral video shows Iranian Army deployment amid the conflict in the Middle East is false. The video is old and partly AI-generated.