FactCheckRadar Real-Time Fact Checking 402 published fact-checks

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Mostly true

Conflicting reports emerge as image of Mojtaba Khamenei appears in Iranian war memorial

Claim checked

“Yesterday, I doubted reports claiming that Mojtaba Khamenei was alive and conscious despite severe injuries. Today, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released a photo of officials killed during the war—and Mojtaba Khamenei was included among them. It appears some Western outlets have been misled by the Iranian regime’s information campaign”

While official reports from early April 2026 identified Mojtaba Khamenei as the successor to his father, Ali Khamenei, a new report from Iran International on April 26, 2026, highlights a video showing Mojtaba's image displayed among the war dead in Iran. This visual evidence directly challenges the narrative of his survival and appointment as Supreme Leader, creating a...

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Mostly true

Secret Plans and Last-Minute Blocks? Unpacking the Claims of a Halted Mossad Operation in Iran

Claim checked

“WTF Mossad was reportedly prepared to help ignite the takedown, but President Trump halted the move just hours before it was set to begin. -YNET”

Reports from Ynet confirm that Mossad proposed an ambitious plan to spark a regime-toppling uprising in Iran, which was initially supported by both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump. However, while Trump did intervene to block a specific tactical component involving Kurdish forces, the dramatic claim that he halted the entire "takedown" just hours before it began is...

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Contradicted

Accusations of espionage and betrayal target high-profile Iranian dissident in New York

Claim checked

“Masih Alinejad is spying for the Islamist terrorist regime of Iran. She has already made several people in other counties be kidnapped, flown to Iran, being raped, tortured and murdered by URGC. She can NEVER be trusted. She is an evil woman”

Claims that Masih Alinejad is a spy for the Iranian regime are directly contradicted by U.S. federal investigations and court records. Evidence from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI identifies Alinejad not as an agent, but as a primary target of the Iranian government's kidnapping and assassination plots.

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Unverified

Reports of secret Iranian messages to Trump surface amid rising tensions

Claim checked

“WSJ: Iranian negotiators passed messages to the U.S. asking Trump to tone down his threats. Iranian diplomats believe hardliners would be more open to negotiations if the threats stop.”

Social media reports have circulated claiming that the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Iranian negotiators passing messages to the U.S. regarding Donald Trump's rhetoric. The claim suggests that Iranian diplomats believe hardliners in Tehran would be more amenable to negotiations if the U.S. "toned down" its threats. However, there is currently no direct evidence in the...

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Supported

Hopes for war negotiations fade amid reports of Iranian minister leaving Pakistan

Claim checked

“Iranian media reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad after meeting Pakistani officials. He is expected to travel next to Oman and Russia. Iranian officials had earlier said Araghchi had no plan to meet US officials in Pakistan. https://iranintl.com/en/202604251877”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Islamabad in April 2026 as part of a regional tour. Official Iranian statements confirmed that his itinerary included subsequent stops in Oman and Russia. Despite reports of potential peace talks with U.S. officials in Pakistan, Iranian representatives explicitly denied any plans for a direct meeting, stating that communications...

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Supported

Did Jonathan Conricus claim the Strait of Hormuz remains closed pending an order from Donald Trump?

Claim checked

“Former Israeli military spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said on Friday the Strait of Hormuz remains closed because no order has been given by President Donald Trump to reopen it. "The only reason the Strait of Hormuz is closed is that President Trump hasn’t yet given CENTCOM the order to open it. Once the order is given, CENTCOM will get the job done," he posted on X.”

Former Israeli military spokesperson Jonathan Conricus stated on April 24, 2026, that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed because President Donald Trump has not yet ordered the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to reopen it. This statement aligns with reports of a "dual blockade" in the region and previous assertions by the Trump administration regarding the strategic closure of...

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Mostly true

Did Ukraine launch a major drone and missile attack against Russia and Crimea on April 25, 2026?

Claim checked

“Major drone and missile attack underway tonight against Crimea and Russia by Ukraine, with hundreds of one-way attack drones and cruise missiles currently airborne over Western Russia.”

While Russian authorities confirmed a significant Ukrainian drone attack on the night of April 25, 2026, the scale and composition of the attack described in the claim are not fully supported. Russia reported intercepting 127 Ukrainian drones, but there is no evidence of "hundreds" of drones or the use of cruise missiles by Ukraine. Notably, reports from the same night...

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Supported

Nature of the Iranian delegation's visit to Islamabad

Claim checked

“Talks in Islamabad will be bilateral. No US participation expected. Iranian officials to stay in Islamabad only a few hours - NYP”

Reporting from the New York Post confirms that an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to visit Islamabad for bilateral talks with Pakistani officials. The visit is expected to be brief, lasting only a few hours, and does not currently include direct participation from United States officials, despite their presence in the city for separate...

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Supported

Fact Check: Claim of Tehran air defenses firing at "hostile" targets

Claim checked

“Air defenses in Tehran are firing at “hostile” targets -Iranian state outlet Mehr”

On April 23, 2026, Iranian state-affiliated media, specifically the Mehr News Agency, reported that air defense systems in Tehran were activated to counter "hostile targets." This report was corroborated by other news agencies and independent observers on the ground who witnessed the activity.

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Supported

Fact Check: Claim of US military buildup near Iran with three carrier strike groups

Claim checked

“The US has now assembled 3 carrier strike groups close to 20 warships hundreds of fighter jets and thousands of marines and other ground assault troops around Iran. All the capabilities are now ready for a range of military options.”

As of April 23, 2026, the United States has indeed concentrated three carrier strike groups and significant amphibious forces in the Middle East. This deployment includes the USS George H.W. Bush, USS Gerald R. Ford, and USS Abraham Lincoln, along with approximately 27 warships and thousands of Marines.

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Supported

Fact Check: Reports on Mojtaba Khamenei's Injuries Following Tehran Strike

Claim checked

“Mojtaba Khamenei the leader of Iran was permanently maimed from the strike that killed former leader of Iran his father, he has undergone 3 surgeries and has bad burn wounds which have disfigured his face and may have an amputated leg-NYT”

Reports from multiple international news outlets indicate that Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader of Iran, was severely injured in the February 28, 2026, airstrike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Evidence from Reuters, The Guardian, and The Telegraph corroborates that he suffered facial disfigurement and significant leg injuries, with some intelligence...

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Mostly true

Fact-checking claims of nightly mass solidarity rallies in Iran

Claim checked

“Every evening since the start of the illegal, attack on Iran, hundreds of thousands take to their streets in solidarity with their leadership. What fools told you Iranians want to be bombed? Oh that's right - clown prince Reza Pahlavi and Iranians who don't even live here.”

While reports confirm that nightly rallies have been held across Iran since the start of the conflict on February 28, 2026, the claim that "hundreds of thousands" participate every evening in "solidarity with their leadership" is primarily a narrative promoted by state-linked media. Independent reporting describes these as state-organized displays of defiance occurring...

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Mostly true

Reports of U.S. Military Cargo Planes Landing at Ben Gurion Airport

Claim checked

“Dozens of U.S. cargo planes loaded with munitions landed at Ben Gurion Airport today. - Channel 12”

As of April 22, 2026, reports indicate that a significant number of U.S. military aircraft have arrived at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport. While the arrival of "many" cargo and refueling planes is supported by regional commentators, the specific claim that they are "loaded with munitions" and the attribution to Israel's Channel 12 remain unverified by the available evidence.

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Supported

Claim that Iran had no scheduled executions for April 22, 2026

Claim checked

“FYI: there were no such scheduled executions.”

On April 22, 2026, President Donald Trump claimed that his personal intervention stopped the imminent execution of eight Iranian women scheduled for that night. However, the Iranian government and human rights monitors stated that no such executions were planned, with some of the named women already being out on bail.

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Unverified

Unverified claims of 'fully loaded' B-52 bombers departing RAF Fairford

Claim checked

“B-52s strategic bombers left RAF Fairford fully loaded earlier today.”

Social media reports from April 21, 2026, claim that U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers departed RAF Fairford in the UK "fully loaded" with munitions. While flight tracking data confirms the presence and activity of two B-52H aircraft (callsign `TONGS23`), there is no official confirmation or verifiable evidence regarding their payload or mission profile. The...

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Supported

IRGC Seizes Vessels in Strait of Hormuz Amid Ceasefire Extension

Claim checked

“In a notable development, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy (IRGC-N) has said that they seized two vessels, the MSC Francesca and the Epaminodes, in the Strait of Hormuz and brought them back to the Iranian coast. This, as U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced the indefinite extension of the ceasefire just yesterday.”

On April 22, 2026, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) seized at least two commercial vessels, identified as the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, in the Strait of Hormuz. This escalation occurred shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly announced an extension of a ceasefire. Reports indicate the IRGC opened fire on at least one vessel and ordered others...

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Supported

USAF Air Bridge Activity Reported Over Europe and Middle East

Claim checked

“The U.S. Air Force air bridge over Europe and into the Middle East continues with at least 16 C-17A "Globemaster IIIs" joining at least 2 KC-135 "Stratotankers" right now.”

Reports from open-source intelligence (OSINT) trackers indicate a significant and ongoing U.S. Air Force air bridge involving at least 16 C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft and multiple KC-135 Stratotankers moving through Europe toward the Middle East as of April 21, 2026.

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