March 14, 2026 | 08:00 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Photos of a young man wearing an Iranian military uniform have circulated on Threads [archive], Instagram, and Facebook. The man, posing with a long-barreled weapon, was claimed to be an Indonesian citizen working as a missile technician in Iran.
But is it true that the photo shows M. Hasbi Alkhairi working as a missile technician in Iran?
FACT CHECK
Tempo verified the content using credible sources and artificial intelligence (AI) detection tools. The result: the photos of the young man in Iranian military uniform were AI-generated.
Visual Irregularities
Tempo observed the white headband with Arabic text worn by the young man in the circulated content. The text reads the Islamic declaration of faith, Laa ilaa ha ilallaah Muhammad ar rasulullaah.
Meanwhile, according to photos released by NBC News, the headbands worn by members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are red. The text on the band reads Ya la-thara al-Husayn.
Cited from the book Ulama Syiah di Iran Modern, the red color of the IRGC’s headband is associated with Husain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, revered in Shia Islam. It symbolizes the realization of justice and the blood of the martyrs.
The phrase Ya la-thara al-Husayn is a motivational chant for Shia followers, signifying the return of Imam Mahdi, the last of the twelve imams recognized in the Imamiyyah branch, the largest branch of Shia Islam.
Source: 1lurer.am
Another difference lies in the uniform. Based on parade and training photos released by Iranwire.com and 1lurer.am, the Iranian flag patch should be on the right sleeve, not the left as shown in the circulated content.
They usually wear dark green berets, not headbands with the declaration of faith.
Proven AI-Generated Images
Tempo then used two AI detection tools, Hive Moderation and AI or Not, for stronger verification. AI or Not analysis showed a 99 percent probability that both photos were AI-generated, with a deepfake score of 70 percent. The tool detected the content was created using GPT-4o, OpenAI’s AI model.
Similarly, Hive Moderation results recorded a 99.9 percent score that the images were artificially generated.
CONCLUSION
Based on Tempo’s investigation, the claim that the photos show an Indonesian youth working as a missile technician in Iran is false.
TEMPO FACT-CHECK TEAM
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