AI-generated clip passed off as genuine 'Iranian nuclear weapon test'

"Iran successfully tested the nuclear bomb. Look, supporters, the test is done ... now get ready to see Israel getting destroyed," reads the Hindi-language caption of a video shared on X on June 22, 2025.

Sticker text over the 10-second clip showing a massive explosion and subsequent mushroom cloud repeats the claim.

Similar posts surfaced on Facebook and X in the days after Israel launched a bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear and military sites on June 13, saying it was aimed at keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon -- an ambition the Islamic republic has consistently denied (archived link).

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Screenshot of the false X post taken on June 27, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The Middle East adversaries traded deadly fire for 12 days after the attack and the United States subsequently joined its ally Israel's military campaign against Iran, bombing three key facilities used for Tehran's atomic program. 

A US-proposed ceasefire announced on June 24 ended the conflict, which killed more than 600 people in Iran and 28 in Israel (archived here and here).

However, reverse image searches using keyframes from the clip found it was first shared on YouTube on May 16, almost a month before the war between Iran and Israel (archived link). 

The video is titled "Military exercise bomb explosion event - AI video".

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Screenshot comparison of the false post (L) and the YouTube video

"All videos on this channel were created using artificial intelligence for entertainment purposes only. Each video is a fictional simulation of a specific event," reads the description.

The channel that posted the clip repeatedly posts similar AI-generated clips of explosions.

As of June 30, there are no credible reports that Iran has successfully tested nuclear weapons. 

AFP has debunked more misinformation related to the Iran-Israel conflict here. 

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