Fact Check: Is the video showing a deadly US attack on an Iranian drone carrier real?

TEHRAN, IRAN: Amid the renewed airstrikes between the United States and Iran, a video has been circulating on social media platforms claiming to show a deadly US strike on an Iranian drone carrier killing over a hundred Iranian soldiers, triggering panic and concerns about a full-fledged war. Let us analyze the viral video and fact-check the claim.

Claim: United States attacked IRIS Shahid Bagheri

The viral video shows a ten-second shaky handheld clip showing chaos on board a ship after an explosion on its radar tower, following which the deck crew is seen running around in panic while some sprint towards the edge of the deck.

The video has garnered almost four million views as of this writing, and was accompanied by a caption stating, “Attack on Iran's drone carrier IRIS Shahid Bagheri."

"According to the latest reports, the US carried out a deadly attack on Iran's drone carrier IRIS Shahid Bagheri, killing over 100 Iranian soldiers. This incident has caused a sensation across the world.”

Fact Check: Fake, the video is AI-generated

The video, however, is fake and was generated using Artificial Intelligence, as is evident from the label below the post that states, “Made with AI.” AI detection tools such as Hive Moderation also concluded that the clip is very likely to have been made using AI.

Also, a closer look at the clip’s audio reveals that people on the deck are speaking English in an American accent, instead of Farsi.

Although there were reports about IRIS Shahid Bagheri being attacked by the US during the early days of the war, there are no recent reports of any attacks on the drone carrier. Moreover, according to a report by the BBC, the drone carrier was sunk.

US downs Iranian drones near Strait of Hormuz

The video surfaced after the US military shot down four Iranian attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz and struck a drone ground-control station inside Iran on Wednesday, May 27, marking one of the most sensitive flashpoints yet in the fragile ceasefire standoff between Washington and Tehran. 

According to the US officials, the strike targeted a launch site in the strategic Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf as it was preparing to launch a fifth drone toward American forces operating near the vital strait.

“These actions were measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” a US official said.