Digital 'Information War' Rages Alongside Military Strikes Between Iran, US, and Israel

As the US-Israel military offensive against Iran escalates, a parallel 'information war' is intensifying in the digital sphere. Social media platforms are flooded with content presenting old photographs, scenes from video games as missile attacks, and visuals generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) depicting combat. Analysts suggest that such material, which spreads faster than ground events, is intensifying the competition over narratives.

Following the weekend's US and Israeli attacks that expanded the regional conflict, supporters on both sides have widely disseminated false and misleading content to bolster their respective claims. AFP fact-checkers discovered that old videos were being reused to claim extensive damage in Israel and Gulf countries, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, from Tehran's missile strikes. Such claims were broadcast from pro-Iran accounts.

Mustafa Ayad of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) stated that a clear 'narrative war' is taking place online. According to him, both sides aim to portray their 'enemies' as weak, whether through attempts to justify the attacks in the Gulf region or by exaggerating the capabilities of the Iranian military in response to Israeli and American strikes.

On the other hand, Iranian opposition media outlets have published misleading reports on X and Telegram, blaming the government for an alleged missile attack on an Iranian girls' school. Researchers have also warned that fake social media accounts impersonating senior Iranian leadership have been created.

In this context, video game clips have been promoted as real footage of Iranian missile attacks, while AI-generated images showing the sinking of US warships like the USS Abraham Lincoln have garnered millions of views. Similar tactics have been observed in other global conflicts, including those in Ukraine and Gaza.

According to Ayad, the speed and spread of this material are the most concerning aspects, creating widespread confusion about targeted attacks and casualty figures. NewsGuard, an organization monitoring misinformation, reported that fabricated content portraying Iran as more dangerous than actual evidence suggests has collectively received over 21.9 million views on X, which is owned by Elon Musk.

X announced a new policy on Tuesday, emphasizing the need for access to authentic information during wartime. The company stated that creators who do not disclose that their posts are AI-generated videos related to armed conflict will be suspended from the revenue-sharing program for up to 90 days. According to X's Head of Product, Nikkita Bier, current AI technology makes it easy to create deceptive content. Since Musk acquired the company in October 2022, its content management policies have faced significant criticism.

Ari Abelson, co-founder of OpenOrigins, a company working against deepfakes, noted that the 'fog of war' is now transforming into 'information pollution.' According to him, AI-generated content is creating endless noise in the information environment, and it is crucial to understand how the media system is changing during conflicts with global implications.

Another study by NewsGuard revealed that Google's reverse-image tool produced incorrect AI-summaries regarding fabricated images linked to the Middle East conflict. The organization indicated that this points to vulnerabilities in the very systems used to verify image authenticity. Google has not immediately commented on the matter.

On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran two days after nuclear deal talks in Geneva, claiming the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, Iran has expanded its missile and drone attacks in the Middle East, while the US and Israel claim to have destroyed key structures inside Tehran. This military confrontation, coupled with the spread of deceptive material in the digital sector, further complicates the nature of the war.