Iran has claimed that it managed to bring down an Israeli warplane amid ongoing hostilities that began three days ago. Since early June 13, Israeli forces have been carrying out airstrikes across Tehran, targeting military installations, nuclear infrastructure, and petroleum assets.
Shortly after the conflict escalated, Iranian officials claimed they had downed an Israeli aircraft and taken a pilot into custody. Israel promptly dismissed the report, categorizing it as fabricated. Later, Iranian sources doubled down, releasing a follow-up statement alleging that a jet had indeed been shot down—and that video evidence existed. A clip began circulating online, purporting to show a fighter jet being struck by anti-aircraft fire.
However, serious inconsistencies quickly emerged. Experts pointed out that the footage was not authentic. In fact, the video clip originated from the video game Arma 3, which is known for its highly realistic graphics and has been misused before to present fictional military incidents as real. Analysts further noted that the aircraft depicted wasn’t even an Israeli model—it appeared to resemble a Russian fighter.
Cybersecurity researchers traced the origin of the claim to Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The false report was then spread widely via a network of Telegram channels known for echoing pro-Iran narratives.
Within just 40 minutes, the story—stripped of all source attribution—had been picked up by platforms like X, Facebook, and even two satellite TV stations based in Lebanon. The rapid spread of misinformation prompted a rare official rebuttal from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. “No Israeli aircraft have been downed. The footage is fake,” the statement clarified, assuring that every pilot who participated in the airstrikes on Friday “landed safely at base.”
Investigative teams from open-source intelligence groups Bellingcat and GeoConfirmed quickly confirmed the footage’s true origin. Their analysis proved the clip was taken, frame by frame, from a December 2022 custom mission in Arma 3, a military simulation game. The game’s developer, Bohemia Interactive, has long warned that its lifelike visuals are “routinely weaponized” in global conflicts, from Ukraine to Gaza. The company has even published guidelines to help viewers identify fake videos, pointing to characteristics such as pixelation, shaky off-screen recording, and aircraft models inconsistent with the nation allegedly involved.
{Matzav.com Israel}
“Peerim” ?
This is not a laughing matter. Yidden in Eretz yisroel have been killed.