AI-generated video falsely claims to show Khamenei’s funeral as social media accounts spread misinformation

Multiple pro-Iranian accounts on X and Instagram have been sharing a video since July 2, 2026, claiming to show the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of Iran, who was assassinated in a US-Israel strike on February 28.

Multiple pro-Iranian accounts on X and Instagram have been sharing a video since July 2, 2026, claiming to show the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of Iran, who was assassinated in a US-Israel strike on February 28. However, a fact-check has confirmed that the clip is AI-generated, with visual inconsistencies and AI detection tools flagging it as 99 percent artificially created.

The video quickly went viral, with one X account posting it alongside the caption: “The funeral of Imam Shaheed Khamenei is not merely a burial  it is an uprising for God,” gaining 741,000 views. Another user shared the clip with the caption: “This is the funeral of Iran’s supreme leader that was assassinated during negotiations with the United States and Israel,” which garnered 219,700 views. The same video was also shared on Instagram, accumulating 14,000 views.

A fact-check was initiated due to the video’s high virality and keen public interest in Khamenei’s upcoming funeral processions, scheduled to take place over six days from July 4 to July 9, 2026. His body will lie in state in Tehran, be taken through Qom and Iraq, and conclude with his burial at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad.

When the viral video was analysed frame by frame, the team identified several visual inconsistencies. From the 0:00 to 0:06-second mark, the crowd appears to move in a wave-like pattern resembling flowing water rather than the natural movement of a large gathering of people. Additionally, at the end of the clip, text displayed over a white background reads: “Join us for the largest funeral procession in history,” indicating the video is promoting an upcoming event rather than depicting an actual funeral procession, contradicting the claim that it shows Khamenei’s funeral. The video was further analysed using multiple AI detection tools, with UncovAI flagging it as 99 percent AI-generated. The spread of such disinformation underscores the challenges of combating fake content in the digital age, particularly during sensitive political events.