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Claim: A social media blogger claims Iranians reportedly burned the Liberian flag recently.
Verdict: Misleading. Multiple online research studies indicate that the photo used in the post was published over a decade ago, and no credible media reports of such a situation exist.
Full Text
On June 23, 2025, a Liberian blogger named and styled Refresh Liberia made a Facebook post claiming that Iranians reportedly desecrated the Liberian Flag.
In the post, Refresh Liberia claimed that the Iranians mistook the Liberian flag for the American flag, pointing to recent missile exchanges between the United States and Iran.
The blogger’s post caught the attention of hundreds of Liberians. As of the time of this research, the post generated about 613 reactions, 217 comments, and 92 shares. While some didn’t consider the information serious or accurate, others expressed fear.
One commenter wrote, “If you try to fight Liberia, God will fight you first.”
Another commenter said, “It’s a sign that Liberia distances itself from the United States by flag and values.”
Verification
Considering the public reactions to the post and the number of shares, we decided to verify the claim because it could be misleading.
Our Fellow contacted the blogger via WhatsApp on Monday, June 23, 2025, for further information on their claim, but they have failed to reply to the inquiry.
Google reverse image search produced multiple results of previous publications of the same picture that the blogger used. During our research, we discovered that Alpha G. Grey, a Liberian associated with the opposition Congress for Democratic Change political party, made a Facebook post on January 9, 2020, with the same photo, claiming that “Liberians smell threat of war against Liberia by Iranians.”
Further research revealed that The Nigerian Voice published Gary’s post on January 9, 2020.
The image was also used in TinEye, an online image search engine and verifier. TinEye produced a link to an article published by The Express Tribune, a Pakistani newspaper, on October 13, 2011, using the same image. In its article, “Pakistan’s love-hate relationship with the US,” the article delved into the souring relationship between Pakistan and the U.S. at the time.
Furthermore, multiple online research, including credible media institutions like the BBC, show no credible media reports of Iranians burning the Liberian flag.
Moreover, careful observation of the flag in the image suggests 19 stripes with a lone star in the Blue Field. However, the Liberian flag has 11 stripes – six (6) red and five (5) white with a lone star in the Blue Field.
Conclusion
Based on the above, blogger Refresh Liberia’s claim that Iranians are burning the Liberian flag is misleading. The picture used in the post was published by the Express Tribune more than a decade ago and by other sources more than five years ago.
