A video going viral on social media claims to depict a protest in Tel Aviv, Israel, amid the escalating conflict with Iran. In the video, individuals can be seen marching through a street. The caption of the video states, “Massive Protests are spreading in Tel Aviv and all over Israel. Protesters set the streets on fire, and they are currently marching toward government buildings.”
Let’s check the truth.
Fact check:
Our investigation began with a reverse image search on Google, and we found that this video has been available on the internet since January 2026. It was reported that the incident occurred in Iran on 8 January. Israel initiated its attack on Iran on 28 February, 2026. Records indicate that this incident took place one and a half months prior to that. This indicates that the viral video is old and not related to the ongoing conflict in the Middle east.
Moving forward, we found that Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) published the same video on X on 30 January, stating that it shows a protest in Mashhad, Iran. The caption of the post said that security forces were opening fire on civilians with military-grade weapons. The footage shows several protesters being injured while locals attempt to help and carry the wounded to safety.
Using these hints, we conducted further searches and found several news reports regarding the protests that took place in the Mashhad region in Iran against the Iranian government from 26 December, 2025 to 14 January, 2026.
So, taking account of all this evidence, we can understand that the footage was recorded before the outbreak of the Israel–Iran war.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo found that the claim made along with the viral video to be Misleading. This video shows an anti-government protest in Mashhad, Iran. It dates back to January 2026.
Title: Old video from Iran is going viral as anti-government protests in Tel Aviv
Fact Check By: Usha Manoj
Result: Misleading
