Iranian Foreign Minister Shares False AI-Generated Map of Soroka Hospital according to The Jerusalem Post

June 19, 2025 – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has come under fire for posting an AI-generated map on social media, falsely claiming it depicts Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bases near Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. The map, which was initially shared by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Fars News Agency, has been widely debunked as inaccurate, featuring distorted text, mislabeled roads, and fabricated geographic features.

The controversy follows Iran’s missile strike on Soroka Medical Center, southern Israel’s largest hospital, which caused significant damage and wounded several people. Araghchi claimed the attack targeted an Israeli military intelligence site, alleging the hospital was primarily used to treat IDF soldiers. He further justified the strike by asserting that "94% of Palestinian hospitals" had been destroyed, a claim lacking corroboration. The Jerusalem Post reported that the map was intended to support Iran’s narrative but contained glaring errors, undermining its credibility.

Social media posts on X quickly highlighted the map’s flaws. One user noted, “A simple check on Google shows the map’s layout is wrong,” pointing out odd misspellings and discrepancies in the layout of Beersheba. Another described the map as “easily debunked with 30 seconds on Google Maps,” emphasizing the rapid spread of what they called propaganda.

The IDF issued a strong rebuttal in a Persian-language statement, calling the claims about Soroka’s use as a military facility “lies.” The statement condemned the map as “fundamentally fake, created by artificial intelligence, and full of errors,” including significant distortions of letters, mislabeled or duplicated road names, and non-existent roads. “Attacking hospitals is a crime. Fabricating a reason does not justify it,” the IDF added.

The Jerusalem Post’s coverage aligns with these findings, noting that the map’s inaccuracies were evident in its distorted text and incorrect road labels, which did not match verifiable geographic data. The outlet reported that Iran’s attempt to justify the hospital strike relied heavily on this fabricated evidence, further escalating tensions in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.

The strike on Soroka, which occurred early Thursday, left more than 700 patients in the facility at the time of the attack, with around 80 people sustaining mild or stress-related injuries. The hospital has since closed to non-urgent admissions, and approximately 300 patients remain. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “exact the full price” from Iran, labeling the attack a war crime.

International reactions have been mixed. The Red Cross emphasized that “hospitals must be respected,” while Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denied direct responsibility for the hospital strike, claiming it was damaged by a shockwave from a nearby military target.

As the conflict intensifies, the spread of misinformation, exemplified by the AI-generated map, underscores the challenges of verifying information in real-time. Analysts warn that such fabrications risk further inflaming tensions in an already volatile region.

Cross-referenced with The Jerusalem Post article: “Iran tries to use AI-generated maps to defend strike on Israeli hospital,” published June 19, 2025.