In the AI-fuelled fog of Iran-Israel war, truth is collateral damage

The Iran-Israel war has unfolded like a high-stakes geopolitical thriller where fact and fiction blur with alarming speed.

Governments, civilians and global audiences alike have been swept up in a maelstrom of misinformation and disinformation, with artificial intelligence and fake news emerging as effective new weapons in the propaganda arsenal.

Going forward, the landscape is only likely to grow more treacherous as these tools become more sophisticated, more accessible and more deeply entrenched in modern conflict.

In just a 24-hour window, the US president claimed knowledge of the whereabouts of Iran’s head of state and supreme leader, issuing a veiled threat that he would not have him killed “for now”. A former Iranian president was first declared dead, then reportedly alive. Meanwhile, social media feeds were flooded with Iran’s ominous warnings, vowing to open the “gates of hell” on Israel.

All of this, amplified and distorted in real-time, shows how the truth is not just shaded but increasingly manufactured and disseminated instantly worldwide.

Winston Churchill once said, “In war, the truth is so precious that it must be protected by a bodyguard of lies”. Facts are often the first casualty, and propaganda swiftly takes their place.

Over the years, governments and armed groups have wielded every available tool to shape public perception, sow confusion, diminish morale and assert legitimacy. Where once leaflets were dropped from warplanes to incite rebellion or spread rumours, today’s battleground adds on digital manipulation, dominated by AI-generated content, deepfakes and algorithmically boosted narratives.

Both state and non-state actors have, in recent years, moved to weaponise artificial intelligence. In May 2024, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) — an offshoot of ISIS operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan — released an example of AI-based propaganda.

In a post-attack video, the group presented a computer-generated news anchor speaking fluent Pashto and bearing a physical resemblance to locals in Bamiyan province. The “anchor” calmly read news of a bombing that killed four people. The objective was to instil fear, appear technologically advanced and lend credibility to their operations.

Meanwhile, legitimate governments have not hesitated to adopt similar tactics. Few conflicts illustrate this evolution more clearly than the ongoing confrontation between Iran and Israel, where the line between information and manipulation has never been thinner.

From Iran to Israel: The geopolitics of misinformation

From the outset, the prelude to Israel’s largely unprovoked war on Iran was based on misinformation tactics and subterfuge. The Times of Israel described it as “an Israeli American deception campaign” to convince Iran that a strike was not imminent. Bolstered by its cyber units and coordinated public diplomacy (hasbara) efforts, Israel has systematically deployed content on social media that amplifies Iranian threat perceptions, casting its own military offensive — which began on June 13 — as a moral imperative.

Adding to the climate of confusion, US President Donald Trump (not unlike Iran’s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) has turned to his social media platforms to issue provocative commentary on the ongoing conflict. His messaging appears to be part of a broader psychological operations (psyops) campaign to manipulate Iranian public perception and polarise audiences beyond the immediate region, likely including the United States. As such, US intentions remain ambiguous, leaving allies and pundits alike to debate whether Washington is contemplating an invasion, pursuing regime change, or genuinely seeking a resolution to the conflict.

Much of the pressure from Washington appears intent on compelling Iran to accept a deal, albeit the rhetoric often resembles an ultimatum more than a negotiation. The language evokes the image of a thug in a dark alley, demanding surrender. So far, Tehran has refused to capitulate, raising questions about what leverage it still holds, especially as its limited military capacity — notably its weak air power — has been increasingly laid bare.

Iran has a long track record of exaggerating its military prowess. In 2013, Iran unveiled its so-called Qaher-313 fighter jet, hailed as a symbol of national strength. Yet five years later, the aircraft had never flown.

In other cases, Iranian state media digitally manipulated images of missile tests to imply greater capabilities than reality could support. In 2008, for instance, photos of the Shahab-3 missile launch were digitally altered to show more missiles than were actually fired. The doctored image was picked up by international media before being exposed and retracted.

In an era where attention is fragmented and facts are filtered through partisan and algorithmic lenses, misinformation, disinformation, and deception campaigns often spread faster than corrections can catch up.

Over the last few days, the Israeli military posted old video footage on its official X account, presenting it as fresh combat imagery. Not to be outdone, Iranian state television has aired AI-generated images supposedly depicting scenes of the ongoing war. At least two widely shared visuals were later proven to be either unreliable or entirely synthetic.

In the ultimate form of censorship, the Israelis responded by bombing the state television station.

Social media has figured prominently as both sides seek to project military superiority through calculated displays. Iran’s so-called “Dancing Missile” SEJJIL, which can hit Tel Aviv from 2,000 kilometres away, was dramatically showcased on YouTube ahead of its launch.

Meanwhile, the Israeli government claims to have effectively reached Iranian youth through Persian-language social media posts, boasting 20 million views within the first 24 hours of the war’s outbreak.

Nowhere has the manipulation of truth in warfare been more evident than in the current conflict. Iran seeks to influence Israeli perception; Israel does the same in return. And candidly, both states work to shape American understanding of events. This information war won’t end with the current hostilities; it will remain central to future military, political and diplomatic engagements.

States must start treating information warfare not just as a tactical advantage, but as a strategic domain requiring both offensive and defensive capabilities.

It is no longer enough to craft persuasive narratives; it is equally essential to be equipped to detect, defuse and dismantle the propaganda campaigns launched against them.

Whether any country can effectively manage the speed and complexity of today’s information battlefield remains to be seen. Still, it is worth recalling the words of Julian Assange: “The most effective lies are never shouted. They’re whispered until they sound like common sense.”

Tanya Goudsouzian is a Canadian journalist who has covered Afghanistan and the Middle East for over two decades. She has held senior editorial roles at major international media outlets, including serving as Opinion Editor at Al Jazeera English.

Follow her on X: @tgoudsouzian

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Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.