Iran parades armed women amid war, AI video authenticity questioned

Videos circulating on social media show women armed with Kalashnikov rifles and riding in armoured vehicles through streets in at least six Iranian cities.

These parades are promoted by Iranian state media as demonstrations of women's participation in the country's war effort.

The footage reportedly comes from Rasht, Tehran, Mashhad, Qom, Bushehr, and Qazvin, and features women moving in organised convoys alongside personnel from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who chant pro-regime slogans.

Iranian state television has broadcast some of these clips, and IRGC-affiliated outlets describe the events as part of the "jihad of women" supporting the Islamic Republic.

However, some of the videos have raised questions about their authenticity.

Researchers and social media users have pointed out visual inconsistencies suggesting possible AI generation or digital editing.

Independent verification of the footage has not been possible, and Iranian authorities have not acknowledged any fabrication.

The footage also shows some women not wearing the full hijab mandated by Iranian law, a notable detail given Tehran's strict enforcement of dress codes over decades.

The use of women in state messaging is not new in Iran; since the 1979 revolution, official media have portrayed women as "mothers of martyrs" and Basij paramilitary volunteers in supporting roles.

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