CLAIM
Viral video shows massive blast inside a compound in Israel
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 video.
Multiple users on social media platform X were sharing a clip since May 17, 2026, claiming that it shows a massive blast inside a compound in Israel amid the US-Israel war with Iran. However, the clip is old and shows the 2025 Russian oil refinery attack.
US and Israeli forces launched a war against Iran on February 28. After more than five weeks of intense military confrontation, President Donald Trump indefinitely extended what was initially a two-week ceasefire, but the conflict, and its widespread economic fallout, remains unresolved.
On May 17, US President Donald Trump warned Iran that the “clock is ticking” as talks to bring the war to an end stalled. The message came as the US president spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, Iran said it had responded to the latest US proposal and that exchanges with Washington were continuing through Pakistani mediators.
HOW IT STARTED
On May 17, an X user, who appears to be a Houthi supporter based on his past posts and bio, shared footage of a large blast inside what looks like a compound surrounded by a boundary wall. The caption reads: “A Hezbollah rocket hits a Zionist missile factory and destroys it completely.”
The post gathered up to 262,000 views.
Another pro-Iran account, based on the display profile picture and past posts, shared the same video with a similar caption.
The post gathered 699,600 views.
Another X user, who appears to be a PTI supporter based on his past posts and bio, shared the same video with the following caption: “A nuclear bomb-like explosion has occurred in Jerusalem. Israel claims it did it itself. Whereas the evidence suggests that ‘someone’ has dropped a dirty bomb on Israel.”
The post gathered more than 200,000 views.
Another pro-Iran account posted the same video with the caption: “A Hezbollah missile has struck and completely destroyed an Israeli missile factory.” The post gathered more than 39,000 views.
On the same day, mainstream media outlet Dunya News published a story based on the same visuals with the headline: “Explosion at Israeli Defence facility leads to massive fire, access restricted to emergency vehicles.”
The claim and video were also shared by several other users and can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here, accumulating more than 17,000 views.
On the other hand, some users shared the claim in a different context. On May 17, a pro-Israel account, based on its user name, bio, and past posts, shared the video with the caption: “Breaking: According to reports, a US missile hit an Iranian missile factory, resulting in its complete destruction.”
The post gathered up to 576,452 views.
A pro-India account, based on its past posts, shared the same video with the same caption. The post gathered more than 70,000 views.
The video in a similar context was shared by several other users on X, as can be seen here and here
METHODOLOGY
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in the Israel-US war on Iran.
A reverse image search, conducted to verify the visuals in question, yielded positive results from a YouTube video shared by British mainstream media outlet The Guardian on January 24, 2025, with the title: “People flee burning Russian oil refinery after reported drone attack.”
According to the on-video caption, the clip shows people running from a burning oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region. The report was dated.
Further results also led to a Sky News Australia report on the same day with the title: “Ukraine claims responsibility for Russian oil refinery attack.” The report also included the same blast inside a compound as seen in the viral footage.
According to the caption, Ukraine claimed responsibility for a major drone attack targeting a Russian oil refinery and pumping station in the Ryazan region, allegedly involving 121 drones across 13 Russian regions. However, Moscow denied the claims of damage.
FACT-CHECK STATUS
The claim that a viral clip shows a massive blast inside a compound in Israel is false.
The video is from Russia and shows an oil refinery on fire after a Ukrainian drone attack in January 2025.
EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES
January 24, 2025, The Guardian YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgoJTRZAJiI
January 25, 2025, Sky News Australia YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMfcsRqRjUA