Viral video falsely linked to capture of US pilot in Iran, fact check finds

TEHRAN: A video circulated widely on social media with claims that it showed Iranian forces detaining an American pilot after a US F-15 was brought down over Iran, but a fact check by iVerify a fact-checking platform has found that the footage is old and unrelated to the incident.

The clip had been shared by multiple users on X and Instagram since April 4 with captions alleging it showed the capture of a US pilot. One post from a parody X account named after former Iranian interim supreme leader Ayatullah Alireza Aarfi said: “Breaking: Watch the moment the American pilot was taken captive.” Another post described as coming from a pro-Iranian user carried the caption: “Urgent: Watch the moment of the capture of the American pilot.”

Other users repeated similar claims. One Instagram post said: “The American pilot who crashed in Iran was captured”. An author and novelist also shared the video with the text overlay: “The American pilot falling into the hands of the Iranians. Perhaps if he had stayed in his aircraft and died, it would have been easier for him. But now, he will be returned to them, not as he came but carried on a missile of their making.”

The posts drew significant engagement across platforms. One X post received 500,000 views, while others gained between 705,000 and 2.5 million views. The video was also shared repeatedly on Instagram and X, with the posts collectively gaining 2.5 million views.

The claim emerged against the backdrop of the ongoing Middle East conflict, which had entered its 35th day. The war began on February 28, when the United States and Israel carried out coordinated air strikes on Iran’s military infrastructure, including missile systems and nuclear-related facilities. On April 3, Iranian state media said Iranian forces had shot down a US jet over the country’s southern region. The United States later said it had rescued two of its pilots from Iran.

To verify the footage, the fact check used reverse image searches based on keyframes from the viral clip. That search led to the same video posted by Libyan outlet Fawasel Media on Facebook on March 2. The caption on that post read: “Watch | A member of the Thunderbolt Forces in Benghazi performs a parachute jump despite having a broken leg, and his colleagues welcome him upon landing.” The post also included a hashtag for Libya.

A keyword search also located a longer video of the same event from another angle, shared on Instagram on March 2. Its caption said: “A scene of unwavering will: a free jump despite a broken leg. Such are the men of our nation, the heroes of the Libyan Arab Army. Praise be to God, a successful landing.”

A comparison of the viral clip and the earlier Libya footage showed the same black-and-white striped cloth or flag in the same position, as well as the same parachute with visible holes in its canopy. The broken leg could be seen at the 10-second mark of the older video, further undermining the claim attached to the viral posts.

Searches found no reports from credible mainstream international, American or Iranian media outlets about any video showing the capture of a US pilot. Instead, reports by The New York Times, BBC and NBC News said the United States had announced it successfully rescued the second crew member of an F-15E fighter jet shot down over Iran.

The fact check concluded that the viral claim was false and that the footage in question showed a Libyan soldier carrying out a parachute jump despite having a broken leg, not an American pilot being captured in Iran.