Iran’s state-controlled media is aggressively escalating a disinformation campaign, fabricating battlefield victories and manipulating imagery to mislead both domestic and international audiences. The surge in false claims coincides with increased conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel, raising concerns about the deliberate spread of misinformation during a period of heightened volatility.
Surge in False Claims
Since attacks began on February 28, at least 18 war-related claims originating from Iranian sources have been debunked as false, according to analysis by NewsGuard. This represents a significant increase compared to the two weeks prior, where only five demonstrably false claims were identified. The shift highlights a systematic effort to distort perceptions of the conflict.
Key Findings:
- Iranian outlets are increasingly using AI-doctored images to propagate false narratives.
- Many of these images originate outside of Iran, suggesting coordinated external support for the disinformation effort.
- Claims of battlefield successes are frequently based on outdated or manipulated visual evidence.
Fabricated Battlefield Victories
Examples of disinformation include a viral post by Tehran Times falsely claiming the destruction of a U.S. radar at Qatar’s Al-Udeid Air Base. The image used was actually a manipulated Google Earth snapshot from February 2, 2025. Another instance involved a video circulating on Telegram channels linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), initially celebrated as proof of Iran downing a U.S. F-15 fighter jet. Israeli Air Force later confirmed the video depicted an F-35 shooting down an Iranian Yak-130.
Further distortions include false reports from Mehr News Agency claiming four Iranian ballistic missiles struck the USS Abraham Lincoln; U.S. Central Command refuted this, stating the ship was never hit. The IRGC also falsely claimed 650 U.S. troops were killed or wounded in the first two days of the conflict, while CENTCOM reported only six U.S. service members had been killed. Some fabricated images were traced back to video games like Arma 3, according to fact-checking website Factnameh.
Social Media Amplification
The disinformation is spreading rapidly across social media platforms. A Wired investigation found hundreds of misleading posts on X (formerly Twitter), including AI-manipulated images and exaggerated claims about the scale of attacks. One post, viewed over 4 million times, falsely depicted ballistic missiles over Dubai, using footage from an Iranian attack on Tel Aviv in October 2024. Another post featured a fabricated before-and-after image of the compound of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei.
Controlled Information Environment
The effectiveness of Iran’s disinformation campaign is partly due to its severe restrictions on citizen access to independent information. Web infrastructure company Cloudflare reported a “near-complete shutdown” of internet access on February 28, with traffic dropping by 98%. This forces Iranians to rely on state-run media, the National Information Network, or the state-backed messaging app Bale for news.
The implications are clear: By controlling the flow of information, Iran maintains a near monopoly on the narrative within its borders, allowing it to amplify false claims unchecked.
Secondary Effects
The disinformation isn’t limited to domestic consumption. NewsGuard also reported that Russia is leveraging Iran’s false claims to undermine Ukraine and its allies, falsely asserting that Iranian missiles destroyed Ukrainian military bases in Dubai. This illustrates how manufactured narratives can be weaponized to destabilize geopolitical relations beyond the immediate conflict zone.
The coordinated disinformation campaign underscores Iran’s willingness to manipulate public perception during a period of heightened regional tensions. The systematic fabrication of battlefield victories and the suppression of independent information sources reveal a deliberate strategy to control the narrative and exert influence through deception.
