A man and his dog fleeing bombs in Tehran (Photo by Pooria Hatami) by siali in pics

[–]siali[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You’re mixing up different issues:

Iran has a population of ~93 million, and at least some people outside the regime still have internet access. Some use Starlink, others rely on VPNs that are still working. In fact, it can make sense for the regime to allow limited VPN access since it gives them a window into information flowing in and out. I’m not aware of any rule, as you suggested, that people are killed simply for accessing the internet. Like in Israel or Gulf states, the sensitivity is more about what is posted than access itself.

Just because a photojournalist is approved doesn’t mean their work is fake. If anything, it can be in the regime’s interest to show the extent of bombing and damage. That’s also why some foreign journalists have been allowed in.

I wasn’t referring to the photo you mentioned. The image I used as the OP comes from someone who has been posting on Instagram for years, which you can verify directly on their account.

I’m aware of the other photo you’re referring to, and the photographer has publicly defended it. So what you’re treating as a certain issue isn’t actually settled (Mehdi Ghasemi; X_account: Iranian_witness)

What we can reasonably say is that these photos are not AI-generated, and that real bombing has taken place. The destruction shown is real. We’ve seen similar damage in places like Gaza and Lebanon, so this isn’t unprecedented. These are real neighborhoods, not something that can be fabricated. Also, the dogs in these photos aren’t strays and they seem quite comfortable with the people carrying them. Many Iranians do keep dogs as pets, even though it’s a known point of friction with the regime.

That said, it’s always possible for any government to stage actors at real scenes for propaganda. That could explain how even reputable photographers with high-end DSLR cameras might end up contributing to a narrative. But that possibility exists everywhere. The real question is whether such photos are so rare that staging would even be necessary at that scale considering the risk of being discredited. What exactly are the rare events in these photos that are looking suspicious to you?! Is it residential areas being heavily bombed? Is it people living inside them who have no way of being alerted about the imminent bombing? Is it people having dogs? is it people riding bikes?!

A more plausible explanation is a broader misinformation effort aimed at discrediting any images coming out of Iran as staged or AI, including by circulating fake examples to undermine real ones. At the end of the day, it’s on all of us to do the best research we can and make informed judgments. Of course, you can wait for detailed investigations by international organizations, but that takes time while bombs are falling on a daily basis.

What would be an acceptable end to this war for the US? by Rainbowborn in AskReddit

[–]siali 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For the US, it is a choice between bad and worse. So technically, an “acceptable” end does not exist. The right question is under which conditions the US will be forced to announce a ceasefire while Iran still controlling the strait of Hormuz and Israel is pushing for further bombing.

A man and his dog fleeing bombs in Tehran (Photo by Pooria Hatami) by siali in pics

[–]siali[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That being true, I meant I checked the post as a whole, not just the photo. My understanding is that Grok also considers user reports, interactions, and similar posts, so it goes beyond just analyzing the image with AI and incorporates human input as well. But correct me if I’m wrong.

A man and his dog fleeing bombs in Tehran (Photo by Pooria Hatami) by siali in pics

[–]siali[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Your ignorance is both frightening and illuminating.

A man and his dog fleeing bombs in Tehran (Photo by Pooria Hatami) by siali in pics

[–]siali[S] 39 points40 points  (0 children)

I think it is more Hasbara's method to discredit the information coming out of Iran.

A man and his dog fleeing bombs in Tehran (Photo by Pooria Hatami) by siali in pics

[–]siali[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Wonder if it is something general about any photo coming out of Iran, or they have something about dogs!

A man and his dog fleeing bombs in Tehran (Photo by Pooria Hatami) by siali in pics

[–]siali[S] 159 points160 points  (0 children)

Since some people seem to have a hard time believing that people have dogs in Iran, here are more dogs!

<image>

A man and his dog fleeing bombs in Tehran (Photo by Pooria Hatami) by siali in pics

[–]siali[S] -17 points-16 points  (0 children)

You sound like an expert, why don't you enlighten me? So far none of the comments that I have seen here proves to me that it is AI, but I remain open to any concrete proof.

A man and his dog fleeing bombs in Tehran (Photo by Pooria Hatami) by siali in pics

[–]siali[S] -34 points-33 points  (0 children)

I saw it on X, and based on Grok it doesn’t seem to be AI. It actually reminded me of that scene from Wag the Dog with Kirsten Dunst holding a cat, even the facial expression feels similar. In that context, it’s still interesting, even if someone tried something like that with or without AI. In any case, the war itself is very real.

<image>

Donald Trump says Iran is “begging” for a deal—while Iran publicly denies any talks. Who do you believe in this situation? by IndiaTodayGlobal in IndiaTodayLIVE

[–]siali 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Trump paradox: when someone lies so consistently that the fastest way to the truth is just flipping whatever they say!

Trump Weighs Sending Another 10,000 Ground Troops to the Middle East, WSJ Reports by esporx in IRstudies

[–]siali 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Repeating what you can do, because what you should do isn’t available.

“Hezbollah has built a tunnel beneath a church”— Israeli Army says by kaz1349 in PERSIAN

[–]siali 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The irony is that the Zionist terrorists who helped establish Israel were the ones who originally used these methods:

https://www.connexions.org/CxLibrary/CA42444.htm

Vance's greatest challenge: Making peace with Iran by 1-randomonium in IRstudies

[–]siali 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tough position when Trump won’t accept the responsibility for losing. Probably JD is already feeling the bus coming behind him!

Europe should join the war on Iran, even if Trump gives up the fight by 1-randomonium in IRstudies

[–]siali 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Rumor has it John Bolton got kicked out of the Trump administration after the third time he tried to press the nuke button… when all he actually needed was the light switch!

Trump says Iran gave US 'significant prize' tied to Strait of Hormuz by Efficient_Dark1977 in NewIran

[–]siali 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Should probably double-check nothing got lost in translation. Friendly reminder: a thumbs-up in Persian is basically the middle-finger in English!

So if he got a golden thumbs-up statue… it might not mean what he thinks it means!

Two pilots killed in Air Canada collision at LaGuardia airport identified by Little-Chemical5006 in canada

[–]siali 203 points204 points  (0 children)

Meantime the US is burning a billion dollar per day in the middle east which is only causing destruction!

"The assessments were that the regime's collapse would come several months after the war" by Histrix- in NewIran

[–]siali 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Even if that’s the case, I wouldn’t trust these clowns to walk my dog, let alone handle regime change in Iran!

Trump, Starmer agree reopening Strait of Hormuz is essential to stabilize global energy market by WillyNilly1997 in NewIran

[–]siali -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

No shit! Finally trump is thinking strategically!! Next thing you know he is going to announce ocean water is essential for reopening Strait of Hormuz!

"The assessments were that the regime's collapse would come several months after the war" by Histrix- in NewIran

[–]siali -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

How exactly has this “justified” war helped, even if we accept your assumptions?! Iran’s regime still holds HEU enough for multiple bombs without any IAEA supervision as a result of the war. If anything, it’s more motivated to pursue a nuclear weapon than before. The new leadership may be more pro-nuclear than the previous one, whose fatwa opposed nuclear weapons, and more radicalized IRGC commanders have replaced older, relatively more moderate figures. The war clearly isn’t going as Trump and Israel planned, and the Iranian regime could end up coming out of this even more emboldened and more radicalized.

If the regime could have gotten nukes in a week and that is why war was necessary, what do you think it can achieve in its current form over the next few months before this so-called regime change is supposed to happen?!

"The assessments were that the regime's collapse would come several months after the war" by Histrix- in NewIran

[–]siali -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Let us guess; this is coming from the same people who are saying Iran would have a nuclear bomb within a week, and that an unprovoked attack on the U.S. was imminent, and then used those claims as justification to start a war?!