Viral video does not show new US troop deployment to Middle East, fact check finds

ISLAMABAD: A video widely shared on X with claims that it shows a fresh deployment of United States troops to the Middle East is in fact old footage from a military homecoming ceremony in California, according to a fact check originally published by iVerify Pakistan, a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.

The clip began circulating on Wednesday as tensions around the US-Iran conflict remained in focus. Several social media users presented the footage as evidence of an ongoing American military buildup in the region. However, the claim is false, and the video dates back to June 6, 2023.

According to the details, one X account posted the video of military aircraft landing with the caption: "Breaking: According to Reuters, the US has more than 50,000 troops deployed in the Middle East, within the area of responsibility of Central Command (CENTCOM), and this number is still increasing. According to officials, the process of transferring thousands of Marines from San Diego to the region is currently ongoing. The post drew 491,000 views, and many others shared it as well.

A pro-Iranian account, identified in the fact check on the basis of its profile picture and earlier posts, also shared the clip with the caption: "Urgent – Massive US Military Deployment Reuters: The United States has deployed more than 50,000 troops across the Middle East, with numbers continuing to grow. Thousands of Marines are being rapidly transported from San Diego directly to the region.

To verify the footage, a reverse image search was carried out. This led to a June 6, 2023 blog post on the official website of the US Defence Visual Information Distribution Service, or DVIDS, titled "B-Roll: VMM-362 (Reinforced) Deployment Homecoming.

According to the accompanying description cited in the fact check, US Marine Corps aircraft with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 362 (Reinforced), Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Air Wing conducted a flyover at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on June 6, 2023. The location was listed as Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California.

The reverse image search also found a YouTube video uploaded on June 15, 2023 under the title "VMM-362 (Reinforced) Deployment Homecoming, containing the same visuals seen in the viral clip.

A keyword search was also conducted to check whether Reuters or any other credible mainstream international or American news outlet had reported the specific claim being circulated online. No such report was found.