Jerusalem, 18 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The war with Iran has triggered a surge of fabricated imagery online, with AI-generated videos and photos purporting to show missile strikes leveling Tel Aviv or American troops captured by Iranian forces.
Israeli disinformation detection firm Cyabra reported that tens of thousands of mostly pro-Iranian TikTok accounts shared content reaching 145 million views during the first two weeks of the conflict. One notable video that received millions of views on X and TikTok depicted Tel Aviv apartment blocks collapsing under missile fire. Several images and videos purported to show Dubai’s Burj Khalifa skyscraper — the world’s tallest building — in flames.
Both were proven to be fakes. AFP noted telltale distortions in the Tel Aviv video, while experts found inconsistencies in the smoke patterns and lighting — among other problems — in the Burj Khalifa images. Moreover, people went on to post their own images showing Tel Aviv and the Burj Khalifa appearing normal.
The fake news reached a point where Israeli Prime Minister released a video of himself ordering coffee in a Jerusalem cafe to disprove internet rumors that he was dead and to confirm he has five fingers.
To better understand the scale and impact of these disinformation campaigns, TPS-IL spoke with experts in media, psychological warfare, and propaganda, who noted these efforts combined scale, symbolism, and immediacy to manipulate perception.
Jacki Alexander, CEO of Jerusalem-based media watchdog HonestReporting, said that fake images and videos “enter the consciousness of those who simply don’t know. In an age of AI-generated news cycles, people don’t know what to believe anymore, so they believe nothing and everything.”
She added that the images don’t need to be especially dramatic to mislead people or even be AI-generated.
“Some of the most far-reaching ‘fake’ images or videos are actually real ones that are simply (purposely) mislabeled,” Alexander said.
According to Dr. Ron Schleifer, a senior lecturer at Ariel University specializing in psychological warfare, AI “didn’t change anything; it just shortened processes.” He explained that social media and AI enable rapid cycles of messaging, including paid responders, ideologues, and bots, which create an illusion of widespread consensus.
These campaigns exploit social media’s need for immediacy, he added.
“The platforms need to be filled,” Schleifer explained. “Until many, many years ago, there was news four times a day, after that eight, and after that, every hour, and they need to be filled with something. Multiply that by channels and platforms and media, and so on. So people are involved in the P.R. profession, which used to be for the rich, and today everyone does it.”
Noam Bannet, a media expert, told TPS-IL that cartoons and visual propaganda in the Arab world often dehumanize Israelis and reverse historical narratives, such as portraying Gaza as Auschwitz. He said the rise of AI has amplified this impact, blurring the line between illustration and reality.
“AI produces visuals — missiles striking aircraft carriers or symbolic depictions of U.S. imperialism — that feel real and carry emotional power,” Bannet said.
In an environment where misinformation spreads faster than verification, experts stress vigilance. Schleifer urged understanding both the technological and human dynamics behind campaigns.
“What is new is the channel through which the message is transmitted,” he said. “Before, you needed leaflets and planes. Today, it’s all from a phone.”
Alexander recommended that users “screenshot content and post commentary rather than share the original, and report it.”
She also advised using common sense.
Noting a manipulated image that depicted Israeli President Isaac Herzog with Jeffrey Epstein, Alexander stressed, “The photo showed Epstein taking a selfie — something that simply didn’t exist in the 1990s. So, slow down and look for clues.”