AI-generated disinformation spreads during US-Israel war with Iran
Artificial intelligence tools are increasingly being used to spread disinformation during the US-Israeli war on Iran, creating a parallel online battlefield alongside the military conflict, as reported by The Arab Weekly and agencies on March 16th.
Generative artificial intelligence has made it easier to produce convincing but fabricated visual material. Fake satellite images and manipulated videos linked to the conflict have circulated widely on social media.
Some images shared online appeared to show damaged military facilities or missile strikes but were later identified as AI-generated. In other cases, videos taken from video games or unrelated events were presented online as footage from the war.
US President Donald Trump accused Iran of using artificial intelligence as a “disinformation weapon” to exaggerate its battlefield successes and public support.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after posting on Truth Social, Trump said AI-generated images and videos were being used to misrepresent developments in the conflict.
Trump also accused Western media outlets of coordinating with Iran to spread AI-generated “fake news,” although he did not present evidence to support the claim. He warned that artificial intelligence could become dangerous if used to manipulate wartime information.
The spread of fabricated material has complicated journalists’ and investigators’ efforts to verify information circulating during the war. Fact-checking groups and open-source researchers say misleading content can circulate rapidly online before it is identified as false.
A 2025 study by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that 58% of people worldwide are concerned about their ability to distinguish between true and false information online.
Meta’s independent Oversight Board said on March 10th that deceptive AI-generated content had already played a major role during the June 2025 Israel-Iran war, which it described as a “soft war” online.
The board referenced a false video claiming to show damage in the Israeli port city of Haifa that received more than 700,000 views on Facebook before the page that posted it was removed. The footage had previously been identified by AFP as AI-generated.
The board said social media companies need stronger systems to identify and label AI-generated content, warning that deceptive material can spread quickly during conflicts.
The Arab Weekly and agencies, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oversight Board, Maghrebi.org
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