Trump Retweets Israeli Open-Source Intel Post Later Found to Feature AI-Generated Image

Former U.S. President Donald Trump retweeted a post from a popular open-source intelligence account operated by an observant Israeli Jew. The post included a clear image of a burning warehouse with smoke rising, captioned simply "Wow." Trump added that the image was a response to recent Iranian attacks on ships, warning that continued aggression could worsen the situation.

Shortly after, the account owner realized the image was old and likely created by artificial intelligence, not an authentic recent photo. The Israeli operator promptly corrected the mistake in a follow-up post, explaining that the image had been circulated on Iranian accounts but was inaccurately presented as current. Despite the quick correction, the image had already been widely shared, including by Trump.

The account owner emphasized their commitment to accuracy, noting they publish hundreds of real-time reports daily and occasionally make errors. They took responsibility for the oversight and pledged to learn from the incident. The unexpected exposure from Trump's retweet brought significant attention to the account, highlighting the challenges of verifying information in fast-moving intelligence reporting.