April 16, 2026 | 10:00 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Several posts circulating on Threads [archive], Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube claimed that Iran captured a United States fighter jet pilot in the first week of April 2026.
The narrative in the content stated that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down an F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft. Uploaders claimed the pilot became a prisoner who would be exchanged for 10,000 Palestinian detainees.
What are the facts?
FACT CHECK
Tempo collaborated with the Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU) of the Trusted Information Alliance (TIA) India to examine the content. Through reverse image searches and tracing credible sources, it was found that some of the content was generated by artificial intelligence. Others originated from past events unrelated to the conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel.
The Farsnews agency, affiliated with the IRGC, was the first to upload the image of a captured military personnel on April 5, 2026. Although it has been deleted, the digital trace of the image remains indexed on Google and has circulated widely with the narrative “US pilot captured alive” in Arabic.
Tempo also found a series of visual irregularities in the image. The edge of the soldier’s uniform on the left side appears unnaturally widened, while the shape of the fingers of the soldier on the right shows physical anomalies.
The DAU analysis team also highlighted irregularities in the lighting, which is only dominant on the left side and rear. The lighting pattern is considered unnatural. DAU concluded that the image is highly likely to be generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
“The image has the potential to be created using AI, although it is quite difficult to detect,” a DAU analyst said on Monday, April 13, 2026.
After testing the image using the AI or NOT detection tool, DAU stated that the tool gave a score of 79 percent probability of AI elements. The models that may have been used include Nano Banana with a 27 percent probability, Stable Diffusion 21 percent, MidJourney 14 percent, and Flux 14 percent.
Libyan Troops Landing Video
The parachute landing video in the second content actually shows members of Libya’s special forces, Al-Saiqa, also known as Thunderbolt, in Benghazi on March 2, 2026. According to Nabdapp, the soldier was welcomed by his team after suffering a leg fracture during landing.
Turkey-based fact-checker Teyit confirmed that the video has circulated since early March 2026, sourced from a Libya Review report.
The footage is purely a military event in Libya and is unrelated to claims that Iran captured a United States pilot.
Iran Shoots Down US F-15E Jet
According to The Times, Iran’s military shot down a United States F-15E jet in southwestern Iran. The aircraft was crewed by a pilot and a weapon systems officer (WSO).
Washington confirmed that the pilot was evacuated shortly after the incident. However, the WSO—an officer with the rank of colonel—had to hide for several days to avoid capture. He reportedly climbed mountains up to two kilometers high after the emergency landing and lit a flare from his hiding spot to signal rescue teams.
To secure the evacuation, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reportedly spread various rumors to distract the enemy. This dramatic rescue operation involved hundreds of special forces personnel, supported by dozens of fighter jets and U.S. military helicopters.
CONCLUSION
Tempo’s verification concludes that the narrative claiming Iran captured a United States F-15E fighter jet pilot or crew is false.
TEMPO FACT-CHECK TEAM
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