Viral video of US pilot being interrogated by Iranian forces amid current conflict

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image and a keyword search.

Multiple people and accounts were sharing a clip across social media platforms since April 4, 2026, claiming that it showed a United States pilot being interrogated by the Iranian forces amid the Middle East conflict. However, the clip is from the 1991 Gulf War.

The Middle East war has entered its 35th day with no let-up in hostilities. The conflict began on February 28, 2026, when the US and Israel carried out coordinated airstrikes targeting Iran’s military infrastructure, including missile systems and nuclear-related facilities. The strikes marked a significant escalation in tensions between the countries, following a period of heightened regional instability and previous confrontations.

On April 3, 2026, Iranian state media claimed that the country’s forces shot down a US jet over its southern region. The US later said that it rescued two of its pilots from Iran.

HOW IT STARTED

On April 4, a user, who appears to be a PML-N supporter based on their bio, shared a video on X, allegedly showing a US pilot being interrogated by the Iranian forces.

The caption of the post read: “Iran has caught an F-15 pilot and he is saying that Iranian tea is also fantastic”.

The post gained 626,600 views.

Another social media user shared the same clip with a similar caption, gaining 538,747 views.

A pro-Iranian account, based on its past posts, shared the same clip with the following caption: “Breaking, Watch the moment the American pilot was taken captive. @grok Confirm?”

The post accumulated 500,800 views.

Another account posted the same clip with the following caption: “Breaking news: Iran shot down an F-15E fighter jet belonging to US occupation forces and took the pilot prisoner. Footage of the crash and the pilot was shared by Iranian sources. These images may have dealt a heavy blow to Trump’s heart”.

The post gained 207,100 views.

Multiple other users also shared the visuals on X, and YouTube, as seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here; accumulating about 101,700 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the US-Israel war with Iran, along with Tehran’s takedown of American fighting aircraft.

A reverse image search conducted to trace the origin of the viral video yielded an X post dated March 9, 2026, featuring a full-length interview with the pilot.

The caption of the post read: “An interview with three American pilots who were captured after their planes were shot down over Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991 as part of the air operations in Desert Storm against Iraq.

“After the end of the war and the signing of the ceasefire agreement, the prisoners were released in March 1991 as part of exchange operations supervised by the International Red Cross, allowing them to return to their country after weeks of captivity. I wonder how much Iran needs until its air defences can shoot down an American plane or kill any soldier !!!”

As per the post, three American pilots were captured by Iraqi forces during the 1991 Gulf War after their planes were shot down. They parachuted into Iraqi territory and tried to escape, but were caught after several days. They were released in March 1991 as part of exchange operations supervised by the International Red Cross.

Further reverse image search yielded a YouTube video dated April 6, 2026.

The video, titled “Throwback: Captured US pilot interrogated after F-15E Shot down in Gulf War | APT,” featured the same pilot as shown in the viral clip.

Its description reads: “This throwback footage revisits a moment from the 1991 Gulf War, when US Air Force Colonel David William Eberly, an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot, was shot down over Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.”

“After ejecting from his aircraft on January 19, 1991, Eberly evaded capture for several days before being taken into custody by Iraqi forces around January 22. He was subsequently held as a prisoner of war,” it added.

The man introduces himself as David William Eberly, an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot, in the video.

A keyword search was conducted to check if a US pilot, David William Eberly, was captured by Iraqi forces in 1991. It led to a blog by Moody Air Force Base, an Army Air Corps pilot training base established during World War II, that stated that Colonel Eberly was held as an Iraqi prisoner of war for nearly five weeks during the Gulf War in 1991.

Furthermore, the Veteran Tributes website, which pays homage to all American servicemen, also posted a tribute for Colonel David. The website mentioned that during the Gulf War, he evaded the Iraqi military for three days before being captured and taken as a Prisoner of War on January 25, 1991.

Lastly, a keyword search confirmed that there were no news reports from credible mainstream international, American or Iranian media outlets regarding any such capture and follow-up video of a US pilot.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows a captured US pilot being interrogated by Iranian forces is false.

The video shows US pilot David William Eberly being interrogated by Iraqi forces during the Gulf War in 1991.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES:

Mar 9, 2026, X post:
https://archive.md/DcBke

Apr 6, 2026, YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eBTGRXZ_SYs

Feb 8, 2007, Moody Air Force Base website:
https://www.moody.af.mil/News/Features/Display/Article/212594/pilot-overcomes-adversity-through-faith/

Veteran Tributes website:
http://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=218