Fact Check: Video of US attack on Iranian nuclear sites relates to Israel’s attack in Syria in 2024

Amid the US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, several social media sites and media outlets shared old and unrelated videos claiming to be from the attack.

Fact Check Pakistan found out that the video relates to an attack by Israeli forces in Tartus region of Syria in December 2024.

The United States launched Operation Midnight Hammer, the mission that targeted Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan. The complicated mission involved B2 bomber jets and dropped bunker buster bombs at the sites that US President Donald has been “totally obliterated”.

Claims

Several social media user shared a video claimed to be from the attack. A user with the handle @MalikHasnain22 shared the video on X, which has been viewed 495,000 times.

Another Indian user with a verified account @sanjeev_kapoor, whose X profile says he is a former Indian Air Force officer shared a shorter version of the video. The post has 27,800 views.

In a now deleted post, US far-right commenter and TV personality, Sean Hannity, shared the video on Facebook and Instagram with the captain, ‘Fordow gone.”

Methodology

A Google Reverse Search Image quickly revealed that the video relates to an Israeli attack in Tartus region of Syria on Dec 16, 2024. Israeli forces dropped a powerful bomb in the area that triggered an ‘earthquake’ and was widely reported in the media.

The video was shared on several news outlets in December 2024.

London-based ‘The Standard’ shared the news on Dec 19, 2024, headlined, “Israel drops ‘earthquake bomb’ on Syria causing huge mushroom cloud as Americans urged to leave.”

UAE’s The National reported on Dec 16 with the headline, “Israeli strike on Syrian weapons depot shows up on earthquake charts

UK’s Metro TV reported with the headline, “Israel drops ‘earthquake bomb’ on Syria, causing devastating mushroom cloud.”

Australia’s News AU also reported on Dec 16, with the headline, ‘Heaviest strikes’ hit Syria as Israel to increase Golan Heights population.’

Britain’s Daily Mail also reported with the headline, “Israel drops ‘earthquake bomb’: Colossal explosion ‘so big it registered on the Richter scale’ hits Syrian coast as air strikes target weapons depots after fall of Assad regime.”

It was observed that the image in the news reports matches the visual in the video. Fact Check Pakistan concludes the video is old and unrelated to the recent US attack in Iran.