Video of vehicles accompanying camel race falsely linked to US-Iran tensions
- Published on February 13, 2026 at 09:27
- 2 min read
- By Devesh MISHRA, Stephanie YOUSSEF, AFP India, AFP Middle East & North Africa
Iran's army chief says his country's forces are on high alert following the United States' heavy military deployment in the Gulf, but video shared on social media of hundreds of pickup trucks speeding across a desert does not show Muslims from around the world rushing to the defence of the Islamic republic as posts claim. The video was originally shared in December 2025, and the person who filmed it told AFP it in fact shows vehicles following the route of a traditional camel race on the Sinai Peninsula.
"America and Israel are preparing to attack Iran through the sea route, that is why the entire Muslim community is reaching Iran to fight, Masha Allah (what God has willed)," reads the Hindi-language caption of a Facebook video shared on January 31, 2026.
The video, which is overlaid with text that repeats the caption, shows hundreds of white pickup trucks hurtling across sand dunes.
The same video was also shared in similar Facebook and Instagram posts as Washington sent a naval strike group to the Middle East led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier (archived link).
The United States and Iran are in talks over the Islamic republic's nuclear and missile programmes, and US President Donald Trump says he believes Iran will make a deal rather than face US military action (archived link).
The military deployment has raised fears of a direct confrontation, with Iran warning it would respond with missile strikes on US bases, ships and allies, notably Israel, in the event of an attack.
Iran's army chief Amir Hatami has also warned the United States and Israel against any attack, saying his country's forces were on high alert.
The circulating video, however, is unrelated to the tensions between Washington and Tehran.
A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video found the same footage was posted on TikTok on December 15, 2025 (archived link).
"Masha Allah, blessed is the Most Merciful, Bedouin of Sinai, Bedouin of Egypt," reads its Arabic language caption.
The user who posted the video, Abu Rabie Al-Turbani, told AFP he filmed it on December 15, 2025 "in the middle of the Sinai, near Jifjafa".
"The Camel race took place between the tribes of Sinai on that date and was won by the Tarabin tribe (one of the largest tribes in Sinai)," he said on February 10. "The video shows camels racing alongside four-wheel drive vehicles."
Camel racing is a popular traditional sport in many Arab countries, most notably in the Gulf region (archived link)..
An AFP photo of a similar camel race in Egypt's South Sinai desert in 2020 shows vehicles driving along the race route.
AFP has previously debunked other misinformation about Iran.
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