Multiple pro-Iranian accounts have been sharing a video on X and Instagram since July 2, 2026, claiming to depict the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of Iran. However, the clip is AI-generated, according to fact-checkers.
Background of Khamenei's Death
Khamenei, who ruled Iran for over 30 years, was assassinated in a US-Israel strike on February 28, 2026. This triggered a 108-day war resulting in over 3,600 casualties in Iran and 13 American troop deaths. Iran called the strikes unprovoked and illegal, responding with missiles fired at Israel and at least seven other countries, including Gulf states hosting US bases, while vowing revenge.
The state funeral for the late supreme leader will 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 burial at the Imam Reza shrine in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9.
The Viral Video
On July 2, an X account with pro-Iranian leanings shared the video with the caption: “The funeral of Imam Shaheed Khamenei is not merely a burial — it is an uprising for God.” The post gained 741,000 views. Another X user shared the same clip with: “This is the funeral of Iran’s supreme leader that was assassinated during negotiations with the United States and Israel,” garnering 219,700 views. The video was further shared across multiple X accounts and on Instagram, where it received 14,000 views.
Fact-Check Methodology
Fact-checkers analyzed the video frame by frame and identified several visual inconsistencies. From the 0:00 to 0:06-second mark, the crowd moves in a wave-like pattern resembling flowing water rather than natural human movement. At the 0:12-second mark, a red flag suddenly appears in the middle of the crowd without any visible source. Similarly, at the 0:15-second mark, two additional red flags abruptly appear, a pattern common in AI-generated content.
At the end of the clip, text reads: “Join us for the largest funeral procession in history,” promoting an upcoming event rather than depicting an actual funeral. The video was analyzed using AI detection tools: UncovAI flagged it as 99% AI-generated, TruthScan as 71% AI-generated, and AI Aware as 68% AI-generated. A keyword search found no credible media outlet reporting the video.
Conclusion
The claim that the viral video shows Khamenei’s funeral is false. The video is AI-generated.
