Several social media users have claimed that the United States used Indian airspace to launch strikes against Iran. However, when we fact-checked the viral claim, it was found to be fake. The US carried out airstrikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran.
What is going viral?
Several social media users alleged that US forces used Indian airspace to launch military strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. An X user named @iamSaharEmami in a post said, "BREAKING: Pakistani media confirm that the U.S. used Indian airspace to carry out attacks on Iran."
Investigation
Since the post was rapidly going viral on social media, we decided to verify the claim. To investigate this viral claim, we first took the help of Google Open Search and searched for it with the help of related keywords. However, we did not find any reliable media reports that confirm that the US fighter jets used Indian airspace to launch strikes against Iran. However, we found post from fact-check unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on X, which debunked the social media claim. It clarified that the Indian airspace was not used by the United States during Operation Midnight Hammer.
The fact-checking body cited a press briefing by the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, who detailed the alternative routes taken by US aircraft, dismissing the claims as baseless.
"Several social media accounts have claimed that Indian Airspace was used by the United States to launch aircrafts against Iran during Operation #MidnightHammer. This claim is FAKE. Indian Airspace was NOT used by the United States during Operation #MidnightHammer. During the Press Briefing, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen Dan Caine explained the route used by US aircraft," PIB Fact Check unit said in a post on X.
What came out in the fact check?
A fact check conducted by India TV has revealed that the claim being made in the post going viral on social media is fake. PIB fact-check unit has debunked claims circulating on social media that the US military used Indian airspace to carry out its Operation Midnight Hammer, launched against Iran's nuclear infrastructure and labelled the assertion as "FAKE" and clarified, "Indian Airspace was NOT used by the United States during Operation Midnight Hammer." People are advised to remain cautious and not fall for such misinformation.
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