An image of a huge explosion is being shared on the internet with a claim that it shows oil refineries in Israel's Haifa on fire.
The post was shared by an X (formerly Twitter) premium user who captioned the image, "Haifa's occupied oil refineries are burning now. They are on fire. #Haifa #Fire."
An archive of the post can be found here.
(Source: X/ Screenshot)
The post had garnered over 16 thousand views on the platform, when this report was being written. You can view an archive of a similar post here.
What is the truth?: Neither is the image recent nor does it show refineries in Hafia burning. It could be traced back to 2003, when the United States launched airstrikes in Baghdad, Iraq.
What led us to the truth?: We performed a reverse image search and found similar visuals uploaded on stock image website named 'Getty Images'.
The video was uploaded with a caption that said, "Shock and awe bombing campaign over Baghdad during Iraq war; 22 Mar 03."
According to its description, the video was created on 22 March 2003.
(Source: Getty Images/Screenshot)
Other sources: Team WebQoof used keywords on YouTube to search for visuals from the 2003 Iraq War.
We found the same visual shared on a video published on the official channel of 'Al Jazeera'.
It should be noted that the viral image, too, carried the watermark of the media organisation.
The video was uploaded on 19 March 2023 with a title that said, "Al Jazeera reporter reflects on key moments from the Iraq war | Al Jazeera Newsfeed."
The video was uploaded on 19 March 2023.
(Source: YouTube/Screenshot)
Cable News Network (CNN), too, had shared glimpses from the operation launched in 2003. A closer look showed us similar setting as seen in the viral image.
Conclusion: It is clear that the viral image is old and unrelated to the oil refineries in Israel.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)