Fact Check: Is the video of American warplane shooting down Iranian drone real?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the United States’ tensions with Iran, a video has been circulating on social media platforms claiming to show an American fighter jet shooting down an Iranian drone. The video has sparked speculations among netizens, with many questioning the authenticity of the video. Let us analyze the clip and fact-check it.
Claim: Video shows an Iranian drone shot down by an American warplane
A TikTok video shared on February 5, 2026, appears to show a drone flying across the sky before it is struck from above by a projectile and explodes in mid-air.
The post was accompanied by a caption in the Indonesian language that translates as, 'US F-35 fighter jet shoots down Iranian 'Shahed 139' drone near an aircraft carrier.'
The video surfaced after the US military said that an F-35C stealth fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that aggressively drew closer to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier on February 3.
Apart from TikTok, the video was also shared on Facebook, and the comments suggest that people believed the claim to be true.
Fact Check: False, months-old video shows Iranian drone destroyed by Israel
Reverse image search and a search on Google for the relevant keyword led to a similar video posted on Israel's official Spanish-language Instagram account on June 14, 2025.
Tomer Nagli, whose account is based in Israel, is credited with creating the first version of the video that AFP discovered online.
The footage was also posted on his YouTube channel with the description, 'An Iranian Shahed 136 Drone Hit By An Israeli Iron Dome.'
Superimposed text on the video says it was filmed on June 14, 2025, in Upper Galilee.
At the time, the two nations were conducting intense airstrikes in response to Israel's historic June 13 attack on Iran, which targeted residential areas as well as military and nuclear installations.
Iran responded to the attack with missile and drone attacks on Israel, sparking a 12-day conflict. Later, Israel and the United States both targeted Iranian nuclear sites.
A ceasefire that went into effect on June 24 put an end to the fighting, which was the most violent and devastating conflict between the two nations to date.
Donald Trump signals a bad day for Iran
President Donald Trump warned on Friday, February 13, that Iran would face consequences if negotiations over its nuclear program collapse, saying it would be a “bad day” for Tehran.
His remarks come as the United States moves to bolster its military presence in the Middle East by deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group.
The USS Gerald R Ford has been redirected from the Caribbean to the region, where the USS Abraham Lincoln is already operating. The moves coincide with ongoing diplomatic efforts and elevated tensions across the region.
