A video circulating on social media platform X since Monday has been falsely claimed to show an Iranian strike on US military bases in Kuwait. However, the footage actually depicts an explosion at a fireworks factory in Malta.
Background of the Conflict
Over the past week, tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated despite an April 8 ceasefire. The US military reported striking Iranian radar, drone, and air-defence sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island after accusing Tehran of shooting down a US drone over international waters. Iran, in turn, claimed it targeted a US-linked airbase involved in an attack on a communications tower on Sirik Island in Hormozgan Province. Additionally, Iranian-backed attacks and interceptions were reported in Kuwait on Monday, prompting Kuwait to condemn the incursions. At sea, tensions remain high around the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran continues to challenge commercial shipping while the US maintains a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The Viral Claim
On Monday, a pro-Iranian user shared a video on X showing large explosions near a residential area from multiple angles, captioned: “Just in: Iran hits US bases in Kuwait again; tensions reach critical level. Reports indicate Iran has launched a new missile strike on US military positions in Kuwait, marking a major escalation in the standoff. The region is now on edge as fears of a broader confrontation intensify.” This post accumulated 538,000 views. Another pro-Iranian user shared the same video with a similar claim, gathering 49,000 views. The video was subsequently shared by several other users with analogous assertions.
Fact-Check Investigation
Given the public interest in the Middle East crisis, a fact-check was initiated to verify the claim. A keyword search found no coverage of such an event by mainstream international, American, Kuwaiti, Gulf, or Iranian media outlets. A reverse image search traced the clip’s origin to a video uploaded by Qatari media outlet Al Jazeera English on YouTube on June 1, titled: “Huge explosion at Malta fireworks factory”. The description stated: “A large explosion has torn through a fireworks factory in northern Malta, damaging buildings several kilometres away. No workers were inside at the time, but authorities reported two men in nearby fields were injured.” The visuals matched the viral video exactly.
Further confirmation came from British outlet The Guardian, which shared the same video on its official YouTube channel with the title, “Explosion at Malta fireworks factory sends plumes of smoke into air”. According to the caption, the explosion occurred at the Ta’ Lourdes factory on the north side of the Mediterranean island on June 1, 2026. Two men suffered minor injuries while working in nearby fields and were hospitalized. Residents reported shattered windows and buildings shaken by the blast. The Maltese media outlet Times of Malta also shared the video on Facebook with a similar context.
The incident was widely covered by national and international media, including Malta Today, Euro News, and Geo News English.
Conclusion
Fact-check status: False. The claim that the video shows Iranian missile strikes on US military bases in Kuwait is false. The footage depicts an explosion at a fireworks factory in Malta and is unrelated to the Middle East crisis. This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.
