Iran launched its largest attack on Israel to date, firing upwards of 180 missiles on Tuesday. Experts have suggested it was larger and more complex than the strikes conducted in April, and the attack employed the Islamic Republic’s Fattah-1 and Kheybarshekan missiles. Israel has claimed that most of the incoming missiles were shot down, and no Israelis were killed—although Palestinian officials reported that a Palestinian man was killed by falling debris.
Damage was also reported to be minimal, but on social media on Wednesday, many pro-Iranian supporters echoed reports from Iranian state media that the missiles successfully struck Israeli airbases. Claims were made that the attack destroyed entire squadrons of the Lockheed Martin F-35I Adir—the Israeli Air Force’s fifth-generation fighter.
Videos on social media showed missiles targeting Tel Aviv, and showing the devastation that the IAF’s F-35s were purported to cause in Gaza. Iranian propagandists have also alleged that Nevatim Air Base, the home of two F-35I squadrons, was also “completely destroyed” in the attack.
Yet another post claimed Palestinian activists disrupted domestic F-35 production by damaging a manufacturing facility. When and where the video was filmed hasn’t been confirmed.
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Together, these are the latest attempts to spread misinformation and propaganda without supporting evidence.
“Some of the missiles fired at Israel seem to have hit Israeli airbases, but the claim that dozens of F-35s were destroyed appears to be completely fabricated,” explained Dr. Kurt Braddock, assistant professor of public communication in the School of Communication at American University. “The protest at Teledyne seems to have been very minor in scope, and there is no evidence that it will slow down production of any materials.”
Amplifying The Missile Strike
Though it would appear that Tuesday’s missile strike was largely thwarted, the commentary on social media suggested it was a huge military success. The news was shared by those who may have believed the original posts, making it seem even more credible.
“The spread of these posts can be considered either misinformation or disinformation. In the case of the former, people on social media may see the videos/images and simply think they are true, and re-post them because they feel they are sharing true news without critiquing it,” added Braddock.
A Planned Disinformation Campaign
Iranian state media presented a fictional narrative, and it also likely employed operatives on social media to post their own claims—which served to provide confirmation for an event that didn’t occur.
Even if Israel offers its own social media response that shows largely undamaged bases, such photos and videos are to be equally dismissed as misinformation/disinformation. And that could play into Tehran’s favor, at least in the short term.
“The goal was largely to sow doubt about claims by the Israelis that the Iranian attack was largely ineffective—which is what seems to be the truth,” said Braddock.
“Reports indicate that although not all Iranian missiles were intercepted, the ones that did land did minimal damage with no Israeli casualties,” Braddock emphasized. “That could be seen as an embarrassment for Iran and a show of strength for the Israeli defensive measures. By spreading disinformation that seems to suggest the missiles were more effective than they actually were, the posters are trying to communicate the ‘effectiveness’ of the Iranian attack
