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Fact check: Video circulating online does not show Iranian strikes on US bases in Kuwait

Multiple people on social media platform X have been sharing a video since Monday, claiming it shows an Iranian strike on United States military bases in Kuwait. However, the footage is from Malta and shows an explosion at a fireworks factory. Over the past week, fighting between the United States and Iran has intensified despite an April 8 ceasefire. The US military said it struck Iranian radar, drone, and air-defence sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island after Tehran allegedly shot down a US drone over international waters. Iran, meanwhile, claimed it targeted a US-linked airbase involved in an attack on a communications tower on Sirik Island in Hormozgan Province. Iranian-backed attacks and interceptions were also reported in Kuwait on Monday. Kuwait condemned Iranian attacks on its territory. At sea, tensions have remained high around the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has continued to challenge commercial shipping and the US has maintained pressure through a naval blockade of I...
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Fact check: Video circulating online does not show Iranian strikes on US bases in Kuwait

Multiple people on social media platform X have been sharing a video since Monday, claiming it shows an Iranian strike on United States military bases in Kuwait. However, the footage is from Malta and shows an explosion at a fireworks factory. Over the past week, fighting between the United States and Iran has intensified despite an April 8 ceasefire. The US military said it struck Iranian radar, drone, and air-defence sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island after Tehran allegedly shot down a US drone over international waters. Iran, meanwhile, claimed it targeted a US-linked airbase involved in an attack on a communications tower on Sirik Island in Hormozgan Province. Iranian-backed attacks and interceptions were also reported in Kuwait on Monday. Kuwait condemned Iranian attacks on its territory. At sea, tensions have remained high around the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has continued to challenge commercial shipping and the US has maintained pressure through a naval blockade of Iranian ports. How it started On Monday, a pro-Iranian user, based on their past posts, shared a video on X showing a series of large explosions near a residential area from multiple angles with the following caption: “Just in: Iran hits US bases in Kuwait again; tensions reach critical level. Reports indicate Iran has launched a new missile strike on US military positions in Kuwait, marking a major escalation in the standoff. The region is now on edge as fears of a broader confrontation intensify.” The post accumulated 538,000 views. Another X user, who also appears to be pro-Iranian based on their past posts, shared the same video with the following caption: “The brave forces destroyed an American base in Kuwait in response to the American strikes against Iran.” That post accumulated 49,000 views. The same video was subsequently shared by several other users with similar claims, as can be seen here, here, here, and here. Methodology A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to keen public interest in the ongoing crisis in the Middle East amid expectations of a peace deal. A keyword search was conducted to corroborate whether any such video was covered by mainstream and credible international, American, Kuwaiti, Gulf or Iranian media outlets, but yielded no results. A reverse image search conducted to trace the origin of the clip yielded a video uploaded by Qatari media outlet Al Jazeera English on its YouTube channel on June 1, titled: “Huge explosion at Malta fireworks factory”. According to the description of the video: “A large explosion has torn through a fireworks factory in northern Malta, damaging buildings several kilometres away. No workers were inside at the time, but authorities reported two men in nearby fields were injured.” The visuals were the same as those of a viral video. Furthermore, the same video in a similar context was also shared by British outlet The Guardian on its official YouTube channel with the title, “Explosion at Malta fireworks factory sends plumes of smoke into air”. According to the video’s caption, the explosion occurred at the Ta’ Lourdes factory on the north side of the Mediterranean island on June 1, 2026. Two men who suffered minor injuries while working in nearby fields were admitted to the hospital. Residents in the surrounding area reported shattered windows and buildings shaken by the blast’s force. The Maltese media outlet Times of Malta also shared the same video on its Facebook account, with a similar claim and context. https://ift.tt/43CgdNi The incident was covered by several national and international media outlets, such as Malta Today, Euro News, and Geo News English. Fact-check status: False The claim that a video shows Iran carrying out missile strikes on US military bases in Kuwait is false. The video shows explosions at a fireworks factory in Malta and is unrelated to the current crisis in the Middle East. This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.

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