Photo shared as Iran’s 70‑year‑old missile is actually a water pipe in Yemen

A photo circulating on social media claims to show a 70‑year‑old Iranian missile allegedly used recently in Iran’s confrontation with Israel. But a Dismislab fact-check found that the image shows a water pipe in Yemen, not a missile.

A Facebook page identifying itself as a news outlet, “The Shironam,” posted the photo with the caption: “Iran is using such old missiles from 1956 against Israel! And the missile successfully struck Israel. In this tense situation, let’s see what surprises Iran brings next.” The post received more than 450 reactions at the time of reporting.

Another user, Mehedi Hasan Rosul, posted the same image, writing: “For those who say they can take on Iran—Iran is still using missiles from 1956. Imagine what the 2026 missiles will be like!”
Multiple other pages and profiles shared the photo with the same claim (1, 2, 3).

However, the photo had appeared earlier on social media from accounts in different countries (1, 2, 3, 4), including posts by the X account “Iran Times,” which wrote: “Iran still uses missiles from 1956. What will happen in 2026?”

During verification, a reverse image search led to a 2021 Facebook post featuring the identical image. The Arabic caption read: “If you want to see history and civilization, look in Aden. The main water pipeline in Aden has been there since 1956—yet it has not rusted or broken.”

Yemeni news outlet Shabwa Press also published the photo, reporting that the pipe was installed in 1956 in the city of Aden and supplies water to the Jabal Hadid reservoir. Due to severe water shortages in Aden, the report said, the aging pipeline and reservoir required rehabilitation, and local authorities had appealed for government funding in 2018.

Another Yemen‑based outlet, Aden Al‑Khabar, confirmed the same details.

The metal object portrayed as a “70‑year‑old Iranian missile” is, in reality, a water pipeline in Yemen’s Aden city. The viral claim is false.