AI-generated video shared with claims it shows Iran attack on US airbase in Qatar

A video is being shared online with claims it shows Iran’s attack on a US airbase in Qatar—but it isn’t real, and was generated with artificial intelligence (AI).

The footage shows several explosions and large clouds of smoke over a city at night as a person films on their phone, and has been shared with the caption “Iran attacks US airbase in Qatar with ballistic missiles”.

While it is true that Iran launched missiles at a US military base in Qatar on 23 June, the video being shared isn’t real.

A white watermark that looks like a waveform that transforms into OpenAI’s logo can be seen in the bottom-right corner of the clip. This is a Sora watermark, which is an AI-model developed by OpenAI that creates videos from text instructions.

Experts such as James O’Brien, a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, also told fact checkers at Reuters that the cleanly defined and “inexplicably well lit” smoke was a telltale sign the video was artificially or computer-generated. He also noted the lack of shockwave after the explosions.

Reports about the attacks on 23 June often included eyewitnesses hearing loud bangs in the sky above the Qatari capital, Doha, and genuine videos do show bright flashes in the sky as air defence systems intercepted most of the missiles. But Full Fact could not find any evidence of footage resembling the dramatic scene in the viral video.

Qatar reported that no one was killed or injured in the attack.

Since the recent conflict in the Middle East began, Full Fact has seen related misinformation circulating widely on social media. Before sharing content that you see online, consider whether it comes from a trustworthy and verifiable source. Our guides to spotting misleading images and videos can help you do this.