Qatar detains 313 people for posting videos of Iranian strikes

As Iran relentlessly targets Gulf states with drones and missiles, governments across the region are moving aggressively to control the flow of information on social media.

Qatar's Interior Ministry announced Monday the arrest of 313 people of various nationalities for filming and sharing footage of Iranian attacks, spreading what authorities described as "misleading information and rumors." The arrests were carried out by the ministry's cybercrime unit.

Qatar is not alone. Bahrain detained four individuals for sharing videos of Iranian strike damage. Kuwait arrested three people for mocking the country's situation in a video. 

The UAE sent mass SMS warnings to residents threatening legal action for sharing "sensitive images" or "unreliable information," while the Public Prosecutor's office explicitly banned filming or publishing footage of missile or drone impact sites. Saudi Arabia issued similar warnings.

Despite the crackdowns, images of missiles, drones and war damage continue to circulate freely on social media and in private group chats,  underscoring the near-impossibility of controlling information flows in a live conflict.

Iran has been conducting daily attacks on airports, military bases, energy installations and residential areas across the Gulf region since the US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Khamenei on February 28.