Old clip of warehouse explosion in China shared as US airstrike on Iran

23 July 2026

A video showing a large explosion is circulating on social media with false claims it shows a recent airstrike on Iran.

One post with more than 1,500 likes has overlaid text on the clip saying: “Shocking video from Bushehr, Iran: Massive violent explosion following a US airstrike.”

While there have been recent reports of US strikes on Bushehr, this video actually shows explosions at a warehouse in Tianjin, China, in August 2015. We’ve previously seen this footage being falsely shared as scenes from Ukraine and Tel Aviv.

Miscaptioned footage is a common form of misinformation we see online, especially during significant breaking news events. Our guides to verifying images and videos can help you consider whether what you’re seeing is genuine before sharing it.

Related topics

Quick checks Iran

Evidence you can rely on

Fact checking claims made by politicians, public figures and viral online content can give you the full picture backed by the evidence.

Subscribe to weekly email newsletters from Full Fact for updates on politics, immigration, health and more. Our fact checks are free to read but not to produce, so you will also get occasional emails about fundraising and other ways you can help. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy.