Video falsely claims to show US airstrikes in Iran, Syria | Fact check

Andre Byik, USA TODAY

June 28, 2024 at 4:33 p.m.·2 min read

The claim: Video shows US strikes on Iran and Syria in June 2024

A June 28 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows shaky nighttime camera footage of a fireball glowing in the distance of what appears to be an urban area. The sound of something flying through the air can be heard throughout the video.

"Breaking news!! The United States military as (sic) begun a wave of air strikes in Iran and Syria," reads the video's on-screen text. "Good job Biden!"

The post was liked more than 1,000 times in a day.

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Our rating: False

The video is old and miscaptioned. It doesn't show U.S. strikes on Iran or Syria in June, but rather the aftermath of U.S. strikes in Iraq in February. There are no credible reports of U.S. strikes in Iran and Syria immediately before or on June 28, when the post was made.

US strikes in February targeted Iran-backed militants in Iraq, Syria

The video in the Instagram post was featured on the CNN news program "Erin Burnett OutFront" on Feb. 2, more than four months before the Instagram post was made. The news organization reported the video appeared to show the aftermath of a U.S. strike on a weapons depot in Qaim, Iraq. Burnett reported in the segment that the U.S. had conducted strikes on Iran-backed militants in Iraq and Syria following a drone attack in Jordan in January that killed three American soldiers.

The Defense Department said the Feb. 2 strikes in Iraq and Syria were carried out by U.S. Central Command and targeted facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Force.

Fact check: Image shows wrecked police plane in 2020, not crash that killed Iran's president

There have been no news reports from reputable organizations about a wave of U.S. strikes in Iran and Syria beginning on or immediately before June 28, when the Instagram post was shared. Nor have there been any announcements around that time from the Defense Department or U.S. Central Command about strikes in Iran and Syria.

The Instagram user who shared the video did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Our fact-check sources:

CNN, Feb. 2, Iraq says this video shows aftermath of the US strikes
Fox News, Feb. 5, Pentagon says Iranian-proxy fighters 'likely' killed during US attacks in Syria and Iraq
USA TODAY, Feb. 2, US strikes targets in Iraq and Syria after Middle East drone attack kills three soldiers
U.S. Department of Defense, Feb. 2, U.S. Strikes Targets in Iraq and Syria in Response to Deadly Drone Attack
U.S. Central Command, accessed June 28, PRESS-RELEASES
U.S. Department of Defense, accessed June 28, News Stories

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Post falsely claims US began strikes in Iran, Syria | Fact check

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The claim: Video shows US strikes on Iran and Syria in June 2024

Our rating: False

US strikes in February targeted Iran-backed militants in Iraq, Syria

Our fact-check sources:

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