Fact-Check
Verifying claims and fighting misinformation to help you separate fact from fiction.
Viral Claim: Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman kissed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's hand during their meeting in Tehran
The viral image is an AI-manipulated edit of a July 3, 2026 photograph showing Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed El Khereiji shaking hands with President Pezeshkian — not Prince Khalid bin Salman kissing his hand.
October 28th, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Viral Claim: Iran started the war with the United States, and the US did not start it
Trump's claim reverses the documented start of the 2026 war, which began with coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, not with an Iranian attack on US forces.
October 27th, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Viral Claim: Lt Gen Girish Kalia said Chinese forces have seized Asaphila, Longjou and Taksing Circle in Arunachal Pradesh and Indian troops there have been deprived of vital supplies
The viral video is a deepfake: Kalia's original October 2023 briefing in Kupwara covered Line of Control counter-infiltration operations, and he never said China had seized Asaphila, Longjou or Taksing Circle or that Indian troops lacked supplies.
October 26th, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Viral Claim: US Senator Richard Blumenthal called India a 'failed state' with a collapsing economy and a military that cannot win a battle
The viral 19-second clip is a manipulated deepfake: Blumenthal's original September 2026 remarks urged India and China to stop buying Russian oil, and he never called India a failed state or attacked its economy or military.
October 25th, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Viral Claim: President Trump has announced a new RICO investigation into George Soros and his entire network
The viral post recycles President Trump's August-September 2025 RICO remarks as if they were a new October 2026 announcement; no new announcement matching the post's wording exists.
October 24th, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Viral Claim: The Houthis struck Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry in Riyadh and Aramco oil facilities in Yanbu with ballistic missiles and drones.
Saudi Arabia has confirmed four deaths in Houthi-linked attacks this week, but has not confirmed that the Defense Ministry in Riyadh or Aramco facilities in Yanbu were hit — and the claim has not been independently verified.
October 23rd, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Did the EU Pass Mandatory Facial Recognition for All Airport Transit by November 2026?
The EU Entry/Exit System utilizes biometric checks for non-EU travelers at external Schengen borders, but rumors of blanket biometric surveillance across all domestic EU travel are false.
October 23rd, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Report Claims OPEC+ Agreed to Slash Oil Production by 5 Million Barrels Per Day
Official OPEC+ communique confirms current output quotas remain steady with voluntary extensions, directly refuting viral claims of an emergency 5-million-barrel cut.
October 23rd, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Viral Video Claims Strait of Hormuz Is Completely Blocked to Commercial Shipping
A viral video claiming all naval traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been halted is misleading. AIS tracking confirms over 85 commercial vessels transited the corridor today.
October 23rd, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Report Claims OPEC+ Agreed to Slash Oil Production by 5 Million Barrels Per Day
Official OPEC+ communique confirms current output quotas remain steady with voluntary extensions, directly refuting viral claims of an emergency 5-million-barrel cut.
October 23rd, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Did the EU Pass Mandatory Facial Recognition for All Airport Transit by November 2026?
The EU Entry/Exit System utilizes biometric checks for non-EU travelers at external Schengen borders, but rumors of blanket biometric surveillance across all domestic EU travel are false.
October 23rd, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Viral Video Claims Strait of Hormuz Is Completely Blocked to Commercial Shipping
A viral video claiming all naval traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been halted is misleading. AIS tracking confirms over 85 commercial vessels transited the corridor today.
October 23rd, 2026 · By Alexander Vance
Did the Strait of Hormuz close entirely to all commercial maritime transit?
Satellite telemetry and Lloyd's List shipping registries confirm commercial convoys continue under naval escort despite heightened war risk insurance premiums.
October 20th, 2026 · By Muse AI Fact-Check Unit