Fake Video of Blast in Arak, Iran, Sparks Online Confusion

A dramatic video claiming to show a massive nuclear explosion in Arak, Iran, has spread like wildfire across social media, racking up hundreds of thousands of views. Shared in multiple languages, the clip was falsely linked to U.S. military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, the footage, depicting a towering mushroom cloud over a residential area, was created using artificial intelligence, according to a report from AFP. As tensions in the Middle East escalated, this fake video added to a wave of disinformation surrounding the Israel-Iran conflict. 

The Viral Video and Its Claims

On June 21, 2025, a Facebook post shared the eye-catching video, accompanied by the caption: "Heavy water nuclear plant at Arak. I guess Trump wasn't bluffing after all - just part of the fireworks in Iran. Expect to see more surprises." The dramatic imagery showed a massive explosion. The same video appeared in multiple languages, amplifying its reach across global audiences. Its timing coincided with real-world events, as Israel and the U.S. conducted military strikes against Iran’s nuclear program, making the footage seem plausible to many viewers.

However, the video was not real. According to the report, a reverse image search revealed it was uploaded on June 18, 2025, to a YouTube channel called "@cmlacyn," run by Cemil Aciyan, a Turkey-based content creator. 

Aciyan’s bio clearly states, “all videos on this channel are produced with artificial intelligence,” and the video’s title and comments explicitly referenced AI generation. Despite this, the clip was shared widely without context, misleading viewers into believing it depicted an actual event in Arak.

US Struck Iran's Nuclear Sites on June 21

The U.S. joined the conflict on June 21, launching Operation Midnight Hammer, which involved 125 aircraft, including seven B-2 stealth bombers, targeting three key Iranian nuclear sites: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. President Donald Trump called the strikes a “spectacular military success,” claiming they “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. However, a leaked U.S. intelligence report suggested the strikes only set Iran’s nuclear ambitions back by a few months, sparking debate about their effectiveness. CIA Director John Ratcliffe later countered, stating that “credible intelligence” indicated severe damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, potentially delaying it by years.

No visuals from the American operation have been made public.