US B2 Bomber Shot Down By Iran? No, Viral Image Is AI Generated

Amid the recent conflict in the Middle East, the US military forces struck three nuclear sites in Iran, Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, on Sunday (June 22) using its B2 stealth bombers. US President Donald Trump claimed that the attack has done “monumental damage” and “obliterated” the nuclear sites in Iran. 

Now, an image allegedly showing the wreckage of a US B2 bomber inside Iranian territory has gone viral on social media platforms. Multiple users sharing the photo claimed that the American jet “did not manage to leave Iran and crashed,” while others claimed that it was “shot down” by the Iranian forces. Newschecker, however, found the image to be AI generated.  

Such posts can be seen here, here and here.

Also Read: Old, AI-Generated Photos Falsely Shared As Aftermath Of Iranian Attack On US Air Base In Qatar

Fact Check/Verification

A keyword search for “US B2 bombers” and “Iran” on Google did not yield any credible reports stating that Iranian forces have shot down the American fighter jet. We also looked up the viral image on Google Lens but did not find any media reports or official government releases carrying the same.

However, we found multiple reports, like this, this and this, showing the B2 bombers that were involved in the attack on Iran, returning to the US. The official X handle of the White House also shared a video of the B2 bombers touching down the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri after striking Iran. 

Also Read: Old, Unrelated Video Of Georgian Influencer Dancing In The Rain Viral As Iranian Woman’s Protest Against ‘Islamic Regime’

On carefully analysing the alleged photo of the US bomber, we noticed that one person standing beside the jet seemed to be merging into the backdrop while multiple others appeared to have white dots instead of faces. 

We then checked the viral image on multiple AI detection platforms which confirmed that the media was created using artificial intelligence. Sightengine, for instance, found a 99% probability of the photo being AI generated. Similarly, IsItAI website also concluded that it “highly confident” (99%) of the image being AI generated. 

Another AI detection website WasItAI also found the alleged image of a fallen US B2 bomber to be AI generated. “We are quite confident that this image, or significant part of it, was created by AI,” it stated. 

Also Read: Video Of Israel Attack On Syria From 2024 Falsely Shared As US Attack On Fordow

Conclusion

Hence, we find that the viral photo claiming to show the wreckage of a US B2 bomber shot down by Iran is AI generated. 

Sources
Sightengine Website
IsItAI Website
WasItAI Website