Vetted by NeuralPress's Multi-Agent Verifier for strict factual validity and event relevance. Our compliance engine cross-checks and filters search results to ensure zero false correlations or misleading content.
Primary Sources
Image of pink missile linked to Iran is AI-generated
A two-week ceasefire in the Middle East continues to hold as the United States enforces a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. A day before the temporary truce, social media posts circulated an image of a pink missile, claiming it was made in response to a request from an Iranian girl who asked for it to be fired at Israel. But this is false; the image was created using artificial intelligence (AI). “A little girl had asked for a pink missile to be launched at Tel Aviv. This is the result: ‘Bespoke missiles’,” reads the caption of a post on X, published on the official account of the Iranian embassy in South Africa on April 6, 2026. Screenshot of the post with the AI-generated image, taken on April 8, 2026. AI label added by AFP Shared more than 2,000 times, the post features an image of a pink missile with an inscription in Farsi. Translated into English, it reads: “In response to the request of a revolutionary girl.” A similar post shared on Facebook reads: "An Iranian girl asked the IRGC to "strike Israel with a pink missile" They made her wish come true...(sic)."The claim was also shared elsewhere on X in Arabic.Iran has been locked in a wider Middle East conflict with the US and Israel, with a second two-week ceasefire announced on April 7, 2026, following an earlier truce that quickly collapsed (archived here). On April 12, peace talks held in Pakistan ended without an agreement. The following day, US forces began blockading Iranian ports in a bid to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route (archiving here).But the image of the pink missile is not real.Fabricated imageThe tightly cropped nature of the image makes it difficult to determine scale relative to the background, but a closer look at the mechanics of the purported missile reveals inconsistencies.South African conflict analyst Darren Olivier told AFP Fact Check that the wiring below the inscription lacks a clear mechanical purpose. “The specific structure of the missile, its fairings, and attachments does not match any Iranian missile that I’m aware of,” Olivier said. “In particular, the wiring is not like the connectors seen on any known ballistic missiles, Iranian or otherwise, and does not appear to follow a logical path, a failure which is a common feature of AI-generated imagery.”AFP Fact Check ran the image through multiple AI detection tools.Hive Moderation found a 99.1 percent probability that the image is AI-generated. Screenshot showing the result from ...
Iranian cyberattackers using detailed fake personas to run long cons ...
Briefing Iran’s threat actors are “particularly sophisticated in social engineering” and have been found creating complex fake identities with interconnected social media accounts and investing time and energy into building personal rapport with targets, said a new alert from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS). (The Logic) Dec 20, 2024 Iran’s threat actors are “particularly sophisticated in social engineering” and have been found creating complex fake identities with interconnected social media accounts and investing time and energy into building personal rapport with targets, said a new alert from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS). (The Logic) Talking point: People on guard for “phishing” might not click links in emails from total strangers, but the patient strategy CCCS described would make senders seem like real people with full lives whom the recipients have gotten to know. In one case, it said, an aerospace company employee was targeted by a “personal trainer” who spent months building a relationship before sending a nutrition-tracking spreadsheet infected with malware. Iran has targeted veterans with a bogus psychologist, academics with fictitious conference invitations and job seekers with imaginary opportunities, the centre said. Loading... Thanks for sharing! You have shared 5 articles this month and reached the maximum amount of shares available. Close This account has reached its share limit. If you would like to purchase a sharing license please contact The Logic support at [email protected]. Close Want to share this article? Upgrade to all-access now Close Gift the full article! You have gifted 0 article(s) this month and have 5 remaining. Recipients will be able to read the full text of the article after submitting their email address. They will not have access to other articles or subscriber benefits. Most Popular This Week In-depth, agenda-setting reporting Great journalism delivered straight to your inbox. Exclusive A Dutch construction dynasty with royal ties is planning $1B in Canadian deals By Murad Hemmadi Briefing New think tank wants to up Canada’s industrial policy game By Laura Osman | Apr 23, 2026 | 4:02 PM ET CoLab lands Bombardier contract for AI tools for aircraft design By Murad Hemmadi | Apr 23, 2026 | 3:58 PM ET AI might need ‘bespoke’ regulations: OSC CEO By Claire Brownell | Apr 23, 2026 | 1:55 PM ET Best business newsletter in Canada Get up to speed in minutes with insights and...
AI and Data Breaches: How Artificial Intelligence is Fueling Cybercrime
In the past, hackers relied on complex code and brute-force attacks to steal data and infiltrate systems. Today, AI-powered cybercrime is more sophisticated and scalable because AI systems can quickly learn, adapt, and evolve, making it challenging for victims to detect and prevent attacks in numerous ways.
Fake news explosion: How AI content floods social media feeds | NT News
AI now a 'weapon of war' as fake content stokes chaos in Iran conflict Social media platforms have become battlegrounds for AI misinformation as fake war footage and deepfake celebrity stories ...
