'Narrative war': disinformation surges as conflict roils Middle EastAn online information war is unfolding in parallel with the regional conflict in the Middle East. AFP's fact-checkers have debunked a series of claims by pro-Iranian accounts posting old videos to exaggerate the damage from Tehran's missile strikes on Israel and Gulf states including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. "There is definitely a narrative war unfolding online," Moustafa Ayad, from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), told AFP. Meanwhile, video game clips repurposed as Iranian missile strikes and AI-generated images of US warships being sunk, including the USS Abraham Lincoln, have garnered millions of views across major platforms. The policy change targets what the company described as a threat to information authenticity amid the ongoing war against Iran.

Source: Bangkok Post March 04, 2026 08:27 UTC