There’s a nodding acceptance among warring sides that for heads to be held high, the eyes might need to be closed. Worried about missiles hitting morales apart from structures, all sides in the Gulf war are cracking down on people posting images of post-strike devastation. Vehemently denying successful enemy action, the only superpower involved whisked a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier far from the battlefield, sidelining it for 14 months to attend to what it claims were laundry room fire and clogged toilets. One curious reverse of this obfuscation is that Iran, which has imposed a near-total internet shutdown, is letting out selective images of heartbreaking human losses and funerals. Viewers wary of AI making the incomplete picture more untrustworthy must go by the old dictum: verify before trusting.