Did Russian President Vladimir Putin say "Don't dare to touch the Strait of Hormuz" on April 1, 2026? No, that's not true: The posts attributing those words to him originated from self-described satire and parody accounts. The fake story was spreading across social media platforms paired with a well-known video meme showing Putin walking.
Claim: The video is shared as drone footage of massive destruction in Tel Aviv, Israel after recent attacks
Fact: The video actually shows damage in Bakhmut, Ukraine after Russian attacks and not Tel Aviv.
Videos of an explosion on a bridge have been shared on social media alongside claims the King Fahd Bridge linking Bahrain and Saudi Arabia was hit by a missile. But the video actually shows a 2022 explosion on the Kerch bridge, which connects Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula.
In reality, the video features a woman talking about anti-government protests in Iran. Propaganda edited the footage and faked the heroine's voice using AI.
Was a video about Ukrainian drone operator Miroslav Radchenko shared on social media actually produced and distributed by Al Jazeera? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no traces of such a report broadcast or shared online by Al Jazeera or any other media outlet. Spreading false narratives through clips with logos of real media organizations is a well-known tactic used by misinformation networks.
Footage of a drone strike on a building has been shared on social media with false claims it shows a recent Iranian attack on Bahrain. But it actually predates the recent conflict in the Middle East and shows a Russian attack on Ukraine.
An unrelated video of a Russian drone attack on Kyiv in January 2026 is being falsely shared as visuals of an Iranian strike targeting a residential building in Manama, Bahrain.
A viral video is shared online claiming to show an Iranian missile striking the King Fahd Bridge between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia [...]The video is from October 2022 and actually shows an explosion on the Kerch Strait Bridge in Crimea, not related to Iran or the current conflict
The claim that the video shows Putin mourning Khamenei's death is MISLEADING. The footage is from a January 27, 2026 memorial event in St. Petersburg commemorating victims of the Siege of Leningrad, not a tribute to Iran's Supreme Leader.
Claim: Viral video shows Iran launching a strike on an Israeli nuclear power plant amid the recent Iran-Israel escalation.
Fact: The viral video is from March 2017 and shows a fire at a military ammunition depot in Balakliya, Ukraine. It has no connection to the recent Iran-Israel tensions or any alleged strike on an Israeli nuclear facility. Hence the claim is MISLEADING.