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Cyprus Fact Check: Over 7 News Items About Cyprus and the Iran War Debunked

Published March 11, 2026, 17:19
Cyprus Fact Check: Over 7 News Items About Cyprus and the Iran War Debunked

The increase in misinformation, particularly through deepfake videos, has reached unprecedented levels following the start of the war in Iran, according to Michalis Sirivianos, Associate Professor at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) and coordinator of the Fact Check Cyprus page. Even experienced journalists are finding it difficult to identify fake videos, with the scale of the problem being unprecedented. Artificial intelligence has made it easier to produce realistic deepfakes, now requiring days to verify their authenticity, compared to the past when it took only half an hour. In Cyprus, Fact Check Cyprus has debunked over seven news items related to the country within eleven days of the war. Examples include a fake video of missile strikes in Tel Aviv and footage purporting to show a drone strike on British bases in Akrotiri, which actually turned out to be from Haifa, Israel. Furthermore, there is evidence of coordination between disinformation accounts linked to Russia and Iran, indicating an organized effort to spread false news. The evolution of technology makes the production and dissemination of such material easier, creating significant challenges in combating misinformation. Mr. Sirivianos emphasized the need for vigilance and strengthening control mechanisms to address this phenomenon, as misinformation can have serious consequences for public opinion and decision-making.