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Truth or Fake is a fact-checking rendez-vous in association with the FRANCE 24 Observers. Our content focuses on false images circulating online and how to identify them. Monday to Thursday at 8:45pm and 10:20pm Paris time.
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NASA’s Artemis II is set to return to Earth on Friday, after its astronauts travelled further from Earth than any humans before. But the historic lunar flyby also inflamed conspiracy theories online about a “staged” mission, and triggered a wave of fake viral AI videos.
Donald Trump may have announced a last-minute ceasefire agreement with Iran, but it has done little to quieten a growing wave of Democratic lawmakers calling for his removal under the 25th Amendment.
During a press conference on Monday about the war in Iran, US President Donald Trump made a series of false claims about Washington’s progress in the conflict, his own past foreign policy, and that his book released in 2000 predicted 9/11.
The White House briefly published – then deleted – a video from Donald Trump’s private Easter luncheon in which the US president made a series of inflammatory remarks, and repeated false claims about several public figures. These extraordinarily candid comments were likely never supposed to be heard by the public. However, the closed-door footage was downloaded by a journalist before it was removed and later circulated online.
In a 19-minute address to the nation from the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump defended his war in Iran, now entering its second month, presenting the operation as a success “nearing completion.” But the President also stretched the truth on several points, including certain battlefield victories and the state of the US economy. Among the most striking claims was that the United States had toppled Iran's government and achieved “regime change” following the deaths of senior officials, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Internet users have been sharing a video online that they claim “proves” Israeli Jews are stealing land in Morocco – supposedly reclaiming property from before they emigrated. The footage shows clashes in a crowded scene, but it’s difficult to determine exactly what is happening or where it was filmed. Our fact-checking team at FRANCE 24 Observers investigated these claims and found that the images are being shared out of context. Vedika Bahl breaks down the facts in this edition of Truth or Fake.
FBI Director Kash Patel has been the subject of social media buzz this week after his private emails were reportedly hacked by an Iranian-linked group. At the same time, a viral Bollywood dance video has been falsely tied to the incident, despite having no connection to Patel, as Vedika Bahl explains in Truth or Fake.
American military reinforcements continue to arrive in the Middle East, as uncertainty persists over the possibility of US boots on the ground in Iran. Amid these tensions, a surge of misinformation has spread online about US forces, as Vedika Bahl explains.
As Iran’s disruption of the Strait of Hormuz fuels global energy anxiety, viral posts are claiming that major economies are on the brink of an unprecedented crisis. From footage of endless car queues in the UK to alarming graphics about Australia and Taiwan’s dwindling reserves, social media is awash with warnings of an imminent blackout. FRANCE 24's Maya-Anaïs Yataghène dives into the data to separate fact from fiction in this latest edition of Truth or Fake.
In the wake of the Confederation of African Football's recent decision to strip Senegal of its AFCON title and declare Morocco the winners, some online users are claiming that the AFCON trophy has been hidden away in a military base in Senegal. But as FRANCE 24's Charlotte Hughes explains, this rumour is not true, and the footage some internet users have been using to make the false claim has been taken out of its original context.
Over the weekend, thousands of people in Toulouse – France's fourth-largest city – were exposed to a misleading campaign targeting Francois Piquemal, the far-left France Unbowed party's candidate for mayor, ahead of Sunday's municipal elections. It happened in the middle of France’s electoral silence period, raising suspicions of foreign interference. Emerald Maxwell explains in this edition of Truth or Fake.
Since Tuesday, videos supposedly showing Iranian soldiers being bombed in Tehran have been widely shared by pro-Israel accounts, Israeli media and even an official Israeli government social media account. But doubts have surfaced over their authenticity, as Emerald Maxwell explains in Truth or Fake.
More than two weeks after the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, a rumour has sprung up that American soldiers are refusing, en masse, to fight. There is no evidence for this. However, the number of conscientious objectors in the US military is on the rise, according to the NGO Center on Conscience & War.
Social media has recently been abuzz with false rumours claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was killed in an Iranian missile strike. Vedika Bahl explores the viral claims around Netanyahu's death and the continuing online speculation in this edition of Truth or Fake.
The war in Iran is not only being fought on the battlefield – it is also playing out online. Iran’s state media recently took a leaf out of the White House’s own social media playbook, mocking Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu with an AI-generated propaganda video styled like a LEGO animation. The clip suggested that Trump launched the conflict to distract from scrutiny over his links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The video quickly circulated online, highlighting how artificial intelligence is being used as a tool of political messaging and satire in modern conflicts.
A brief social media post by the US energy secretary prompted a major U-turn from the Trump administration. Within 30 minutes, Chris Wright had posted – and deleted – a message claiming the US Navy had successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. Despite its short life, the claim sent oil markets into a frenzy, prompted a denial from the White House and triggered mockery from Iranian officials. Vedika Bahl explains in Truth or Fake.
A newly released video by Iran’s Mehr News Agency – verified and geolocated by fact-checking experts – shows an American Tomahawk cruise missile striking a naval base next to a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran. The footage puts the US in the spotlight, contradicting Donald Trump’s claim that the school was hit by an Iranian attack. Munitions experts say the US is the only actor in the war to possess Tomahawks. Vedika Bahl explains in Truth or Fake.
Influencers in Dubai have taken to social media to post near-identical videos praising the city’s safety and glorifying its leadership, using the same template, music and captions. The posts come just a week after videos of panic in Dubai circulated online following intercepted Iranian strikes. Online, some users have accused the influencers of being paid to promote the city, as UAE authorities clamp down on posts about the war. Vedika Bahl takes a closer look in Truth or Fake.
The claim spread like wildfire on social media earlier this week after the US and Israel began striking Iran: Iranian footballer Mehdi Taremi was considering leaving Greek club Olympiakos, where he currently plays, to go back to his homeland to fight for the Iranian regime. The unfounded rumour was then picked up by the reputable sports press, particularly in Italy, where Taremi used to play for Inter Milan. Emerald Maxwell tells us more in Truth or Fake.
On Wednesday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters. The Pentagon says one of the main aims of the US-Israeli war against Iran, launched on Saturday, is to wipe out the country's navy, and on Wednesday the US claimed to have "effectively neutralised Iran's major naval presence". In this edition of Truth or Fake, we look at what we know about the state of the Iranian navy now.
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