Iranian Media Passes Off Chile Forest Fire As Damage Caused To Israel In Footage Called Out By Internet

The Iranian state TV, the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), aired footage claiming “Israelis were panicking” when they launched more than 300 missiles and drones towards Israel. Fact-checkers, including from the BBC Monitoring found that these were not panicked Israelis, but these were later found to be fans of British singer Louis Tomlinson.

BBC Monitoring said the footage is of Louis Tomlinson fans near Four Seasons Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, captured earlier this month. Louis Tomlinson rose to fame via music group One Direction.

This footage was also shared by several online influencers as well. The Iranian state-run broadcaster also ran other footage and claimed them to be devastation wreaked by Iranian air strikes. Israel shot down 99% of the projectiles fired by Iran.

The fact finders of BBC Monitoring also said that the other footage aired by the Iranian state broadcaster, claiming to be the aftermath of the missile barrage, was footage from a February forest fire in Chile.

But the Iranian government mouthpiece suggested that it was the Nevatim air base in the Negev desert which exploded like a fireball following the drone and missile barrage. Some debris landed on the Nevatim air base in the Negev desert and it continues to function normally.

It also showed jubilant Palestinians outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Temple Mount compound in Jerusalem’s Old City celebrating the attack but that too was later found to be misleading footage. The video of Palestinians celebrating was actually Muslim worshippers marking the end of Ramadan.

Israel has vowed retaliation for the Iranian attack but is yet to decide on a timeline. Tensions remain high between both West Asian nations who are arch-foes and have taken an adversarial stance following the October 7 Hamas attacks which triggered the war in Gaza.

Israel struck the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus earlier this month and killed two high-ranking generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Iran retaliated by firing suicide drones and missiles on Saturday night but Israel using its David’s Sling, Iron Dome and Arrow missiles and with assistance from the US, UK, France and Jordan was able to thwart the attack.