Old, AI-Generated Photos Falsely Shared As Aftermath Of Iranian Attack On US Air Base In Qatar

After Iran reportedly launched missiles toward America’s Al-Udeid air base in Qatar late on June 23, in response to the US strikes on the nuclear facilities of Tehran, a couple of images are going viral claiming to show the destruction caused by the attack. The archived versions of the posts can be seen here and here, which has clocked close to 2.4 million views so far.

Claim 1

Newschecker noticed the overly glossy texture of the image, indicating that it may be AI-generated. We ran the image Hive Moderation, which stated it was 98.5% likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content. Similarly, the SightEngine tool stated that it was 99% likely AI-generated.

Claim 2

Newschecker learnt that US military officials confirmed that there had been no impact on the base just outside Qatar’s capital, Doha, and there were no injuries, while Qatar said that its air defence systems successfully intercepted the missiles launched by Iran, hence contradicting both the viral images.

We ran a reverse image search, which led us to the same image featured in this Hotelier Middle East report, dated February 27, 2014, stating that nine people were killed when gas canisters exploded in a Turkish restaurant in the Qatari capital Doha.

We also came across these BBC, AP and Arab News reports from February 27, 2024 on the incident, sharing similar images. “An explosion at a restaurant in the Qatari capital Doha has killed 12 people and injured at least 30, according to officials. Initial indications suggested a burst natural gas tank on top of a Turkish restaurant was to blame. It happened shortly after 10:00 (7:00 GMT), near a petrol station and the popular Landmark Mall shopping centre. The force of the blast caused the partial collapse of the Istanbul Restaurant,” read the BBC report, further confirming that the viral image is being shared with a false claim.

Also Read: Old, Unrelated Video Of Georgian Influencer Dancing In The Rain Viral As Iranian Woman’s Protest Against ‘Islamic Regime’

Source
Hive Moderation tool
SightEngine tool
Hotelier Middle East report, February 27, 2014