Iran launches drone bearing image of Lamine Yamal with Palestinian flag
An explosive UAV launched toward a US base in the Gulf displayed a real image of the Spanish football star, while a separate viral World Cup photo has been identified as AI-generated, according to AFP
An explosive drone launched by Iran toward a US military base in the Gulf over the past 24 hours was found to bear a large image of Spanish football star Lamine Yamal holding a Palestinian flag.
The image affixed to the UAV is the same photograph taken during Barcelona's La Liga title celebrations in May, when Yamal was photographed carrying a Palestinian flag.
At around the same time, a different image of Yamal began circulating widely on social media. The viral photo appeared to show the Spain international wrapped in a Palestinian flag while standing beside the FIFA World Cup trophy in New Jersey.
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However, a digital investigation by AFP concluded that the World Cup image is fabricated and was generated using artificial intelligence.
According to AFP, digital verification tools detected Google's SynthID watermark embedded in the image, indicating that it was AI-generated. The agency also compared the image with authentic photographs from Spain's celebrations, showing that Yamal was actually wearing his national team's official championship jersey bearing the word "Campeones," with no Palestinian flag present.
The incident highlights the growing use of both authentic and manipulated imagery in online narratives surrounding the conflict in the Middle East, as AI-generated content continues to spread rapidly across social media platforms.