appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

Wasi Mirza

With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this series, SCMP Fact-Check, the South China Morning Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers.
A video circulating online amid the US-Israel war on Iran falsely claims to show a downed American pilot captured alive by Iranians.
“Iranians Captured F35 Pilot alive,” read the caption of a Facebook reel.
The video appeared to show a man being apprehended by two others in an open field.

The reel was shared after Iran shot down an American F-15E fighter jet on April 3, with two United States airmen later being rescued.
As of Thursday, both sides have exchanged competing claims on the progress of a deal to end the war, after an initial round of peace talks on Saturday concluded with no breakthrough.
The footage has been shared in similar posts on Instagram, X and Threads, racking up over 500,000 views between them.
However, the footage actually shows a paraglider in Pakistan.
Investigation
A reverse image search on Google found a matching YouTube video uploaded on May 10, 2025.
Pakistan and India fought a brief air war in May last year before declaring a truce, with both sides claiming victory.

Further searches using this information found the paraglider in the video, who claimed in an Instagram post that he was misidentified by social media users as an Indian pilot.
“As I was packing up a pick-up truck rolled in and two air force security guys jumped out ... They took me to the office, checked my documents, realised I am just a paraglider and let me go.”
Contacted by the South China Morning Post, the Instagram user confirmed the video showed him.
“Yes, that video is indeed of me paragliding, and it was filmed in Pakistan,” he said.
With this information, the SCMP was able to geolocate the video to Chitral, a town in Pakistan’s rugged northwest.
Below is a screenshot comparing a scene from the video to a location on Google Maps from a different angle.

SCMP Fact-Check has reached out to the social media account owners for comment.
Verdict: False
Seen something suspicious online? Tell us on factcheck@scmp.com.


This video of ‘Iran capturing US pilot’ was filmed in Pakistan

Greater Bay Airlines suspends Bangkok flights for over 4 months amid fuel price surge

China’s Wang Yi calls on Iran to ensure freedom and safe passage through Strait of Hormuz

Malaysia pumps up police action at border petrol stations to curb subsidised fuel leaks

US-Israel war on Iran

A screenshot showing scenes from a video falsely claiming to show a US pilot captured by Iran, with lines drawn through by the SCMP. Photo: Handout/SCMP

A screenshot showing scenes from the video with lines drawn through by the SCMP. Photo: Handout/SCMP

A screenshot showing scenes from the false post (left) with the one from YouTube (right) uploaded in May last year. Photo: Handout/SCMP Composite

A screenshot comparing visuals from the video (left) to one on Google Maps (right) with similar features highlighted by the SCMP. Photo: Handout/SCMP

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with his Iranian counterpart in a phone call on Wednesday regarding the Iran war and access to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Xinhua

China beats expectations with 5% growth in first GDP release since Iran war

A coil of copper is moved at an electrical materials factory in Dongyang, Zhejiang province, on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

A man shops in a Beijing supermarket on Tuesday. China’s retail sales rose 1.7 per cent year on year in March. Photo: EPA

News

World

Middle East

Asia

The conflict in the Middle East has led to videos being shared out of context by social media users


The conflict in the Middle East has led to videos being shared out of context by social media users.


.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The conflict in the Middle East has led to videos being shared out of context by social media users

The conflict in the Middle East has led to videos being shared out of context by social media users