Footage of Spanish residential complex fire misrepresented as 'Iranian attack on Israel'

A video compilation of a fire at a residential complex in Spain has recirculated in posts about an Iranian attack on Israel. It surfaced shortly after Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was killed in the Iranian capital Tehran. While Israel has not confirmed or denied any role in the killing, Iran and its regional allies have vowed they will retaliate following Haniyeh's death.

"Here is what Iran's non-stop attack on Israel looks like," read the Indonesian-text overlay on a SnackVideo post on August 3, 2024.

The compilation contained two clips. The first one shows people watching a burning building, while the other clip shows the burning structure being watched from what appears to be a balcony.

"Even Israelis cried begging for mercy from Iran to stop the attack," the text continued.

The video has been shared alongside similar claims elsewhere on SnackVideo here, here, and here.

The posts surfaced following the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on July 31 in Tehran.

Haniyeh was visiting for Masud Pezeshkian's inauguration ceremony when he was killed using a "short-range projectile" launched from outside his accommodation, according to the Revolutionary Guards.

Although Israel has not admitted to killing Haniyeh, Iran and its allies have vowed to retaliate. There has been no official report of such an attack as of August 8, 2024.

Hamas has since named a new chief, Yahya Sinwar, the alleged mastermind of the October 7 attack on Israel, with regional hostilities threatening to boil over as the Gaza war enters its 11th month.

But the clips -- filmed in Spain -- are unrelated to the simmering tension between Iran and Israel.

Valencia fire

A reverse image search on Google found several videos of a residential fire in Spain's Mediterranean port city of Valencia, including this one verified by Storyful news agency (archived here).

AFP subsequently found similar verified footage in its archives from social media user Aymeric Cesbron of the same burning apartment complex in February 2024.

AFP reported 10 people died after the fire devastated a 14-storey high-rise and an adjoining 10-storey block in western Campanar district. Authorities said the blaze was probably caused by a faulty electrical appliance.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the false post (left) and the video verified by AFP (right):

Google Maps street imagery shows that elements in the video match the apartment complex in Valencia (archived here).

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (left) and Google Maps' street view of the apartment complex in Valencia (right):

A reverse image search of the second clip led to a similar video on YouTube published on February 23, 2024 with a Spanish caption that says "fire in Valencia" (archived link).

Street view on Google Maps shows the building located across from the fire site has a balcony similar to the one in the false post (archived link):

AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the Iran-Israel conflict here and here.