Social media accounts posted a video of a massive explosion, claiming it was a recent attack on Iran’s Fordow reactor. The caption read: “Breaking news: A clip shows the moment the Iranian Fordow reactor was struck by a US B2 bomber.”
Kashif verified the video via Google Images search and found it to be old and falsely linked to the targeting of Iran’s Fordow reactor. The video was first circulated in December 2024 and shows Israeli airstrikes targeting the Syrian city of Tartus.
Al Arabiya’s account on X published the video on 16/12/2024, with the following description: “Circulating clips of a massive explosion in the city of Tartous following Israeli airstrikes.”
The Telegraph also published it on its X account on the same date, 16 December 2024, with the following headline: “Israeli airstrikes on a military site in Syria overnight were as strong as a 3.1 magnitude earthquake.”
The Israeli occupation army launched airstrikes on the Syrian city of Tartus on 16 December 2024. According to the Syrian monitor for Human Rights, the raids targeted several sites, including air defense units and surface-to-surface missile depots, describing them as “the most violent strikes in the Syrian coastal region since the raids began in 2012.”
US President Donald Trump announced at on 22 June 2025, that the United States had launched a “very successful” attack targeting three nuclear facilities in Iran, including the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan sites. He indicated that a full load of bombs had been dropped on the main site at Fordow and that the operation was complete.
In contrast, Tehran strongly condemned the US airstrikes targeting three nuclear facilities on its territory, warning of “grave consequences” and maintaining “all options” for response.