Video of fire in Chinese city of Chongqing reposted as an Iranian attack targeting Israel

Social media accounts posted a video of a massive fire, claiming it was the result of an Iranian bombardment targeting Israel, “The first moments of the Iranian bombing that targeted the Mossad headquarters, a bus station, and a building in Herzliya, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.” 

Kashif verified the video via Google Images search and found that it was circulated before the start of the military escalation between Israel and Iran, and dates back to a fire that broke out in the Chinese city of Chongqing. 

“Source for News” account posted it on Facebook on 11 June 2025, before the start of the military escalation on 13 June 2025, with the following description: “A massive fire broke out in the Chinese city of Chongqing due to an electric scooter battery explosion and the flames spreading to other scooters in the parking lot.” 

Meanwhile, Al Arabiya posted a video documenting the incident on its Facebook page on 12 June 2025, accompanied by the following description: “Flames and black smoke… scenes of a massive fire at a motorcycle parking lot in the Chinese city of Chongqing.” A closer look at the Al Arabiya video and the circulating video reveals a similarity in the location of the incident. 

Air raid sirens sounded inside Israel on 17 June 2025, after the Israeli army announced that it had detected missiles launched from Iran, while loud explosions were heard in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Israeli army said that air defenses were trying to intercept Iranian missiles in the skies over Tel Aviv, while Israeli media reported a direct hit from an Iranian missile on a building in the city of Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. Iranian media indicated that “the Nevatim base in the Negev was targeted in the new wave of missiles.”

The military escalation between Iran and the Israeli occupation continued till 24 June 2025. The escalation began on 13 June 2025, with the Israeli occupation launching intensive raids as part of an operation dubbed “Rising Lion,” targeting nuclear facilities, sites, and military leaders inside Iran. In response, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones. This escalation resulted in the deaths of 585 people and the injury of 1,326 in Iran. The Israeli government’s media office announced in its latest update, dated June 16, 2025, that the Iranian missile strikes resulted in 24 deaths and 592 injuries. Meanwhile, confrontations and mutual threats continue, amid international warnings of an escalating war.