The Israel–Iran war began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear-related sites, killing several senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran retaliated with missiles and drones targeting Israel, US bases and Gulf States. The conflict quickly expanded across West Asia, disrupting oil routes near the Strait of Hormuz and raising fears of a wider regional war.
In the above context, a video of a blast has gone viral. Those sharing the video claim it shows a blast in Tel Aviv, Israel’s capital, after the attack of an Iranian missile. A fire engine can also be seen in the video, trying to extinguish flames.
A social media user shared the video with a caption that reads, “Attack on Central Israel. #Israel #IsraelIranWar #IranWar”
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The viral video shows a magnesium fire in Maywood, California, in 2016.
On a Google reverse image search, we found that the same video was shared by a YouTube channel on June 17, 2016. The video was shared with a caption that reads, “4th Alarm fire at a recycling plant on the Vernon, Maywood, CA border line results in several magnesium explosions. This is the largest explosion sending me and firefighters running for cover. Over 100 LACOFD, Vernon, and Compton firefighters responded.”
A screenshot of the video was also shared by the Los Angeles Daily News website on June 14, 2016.
According to the report associated with the video, a massive warehouse fire broke out in Maywood, California on June 14, 2016, at a metal-recycling facility storing large amounts of magnesium. The blaze triggered powerful explosions when firefighters initially used water, which reacted with the burning metal. Thick, foul-smelling smoke spread across Los Angeles, prompting air-quality warnings and evacuations of about 300 residents while authorities assessed health risks.
Using this information, we searched with relevant keywords and found that the incident was also reported by The Seattle Times on June 15, 2016.
The report stated that a magnesium-fed warehouse fire in Maywood, California, forced about 300 residents to evacuate and destroyed two commercial buildings. Firefighters struggled to control the blaze because magnesium reacts violently with water, causing explosions. The fire burned for more than a day before crews managed to extinguish it, after which authorities tested ash and debris to ensure the area was safe for residents to return.
Hence, we can ascertain that the viral video is from 2016 and unrelated to the ongoing Israel-Iran war.