Video shows crowd in Argentina, not Israelis running from Iranian attack | Fact check

Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY
·1 min read
1

The claim: Video shows people in Israel fleeing Iranian attack

An April 13 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows people running and screaming on a street at night.

"Breaking News: Israelis panic and flee to safety after Iran launched its retaliatory attack," reads text superimposed on the video.

The post garnered more than 15,000 likes in three days.

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Our rating: False

The video shows a crowd in Argentina, not Israel. There is no evidence the video is related to Iran's recent attack on Israel.

Video filmed in Argentina

On April 13, Iran launched a drone attack on Israel after a suspected Israeli attack on an Iranian embassy in Syria. However, the video in the social media post was shot in front of a Four Seasons hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Google Maps images of the area show matching roads, buildings, light fixtures, trees and other landmarks. The crowd may have been associated with the appearance of former One Direction band member, Louis Tomlinson.

Local media published a nighttime video of Tomlinson taking pictures with a large crowd of fans in front of the hotel in early April.

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USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Lead Stories and Logically Facts also debunked the video.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video shows Argentina, not fleeing crowd in Israeli | Fact check