According to the report published on September 9, the latest US-Iran escalation has shifted sharply to the sea. After the US destroyed five Iranian oil tankers following Iranian missile attacks on a US Navy warship, Iran retaliated by striking ships near the Strait of Hormuz and firing ballistic missiles at a US base in Jordan. The clashes have disrupted shipping and pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
In the above context, a dramatic video showing a fighter jet performing a manoeuvre and then crashing onto a runway in flames has gone viral.
The video is shared with a caption claiming it captures Iran shooting down an Israeli fighter jet amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
A video is widely being shared on social media with a caption that reads, “Iran has shot down an Israeli fighter jet, according to initial reports. Israeli fighter jet shot down. Claim by Iran. High-stakes escalation unfolding”
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The viral video is from a 2025 crash in Poland and shows a Polish Air Force F-16 crash during air show rehearsal.
On a Google reverse image search, we found that the same video was shared by a YouTube channel on August 29, 2025, with a caption that reads, “Polish Air Force pilot dies after crashing F-16 jet during air show rehearsal.”
We further found that the same video was shared by a YouTube channel on November 24, 2025, with a caption that reads, “A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during an airshow rehearsal in Radom, central Poland, on Thursday, August 28, killing the pilot, the army confirmed.”
Taking a hint, we searched with relevant keywords and found that the incident was also reported by Al Jazeera on August 28, 2025.
According to the report, a Polish Army pilot was killed after an F-16 fighter jet crashed during preparations for the AirSHOW Radom 2025 in central Poland. The aircraft, operated by the 31st Tactical Air Base, crashed at around 7:30 pm local time during a practice session. No bystanders were injured. Poland subsequently cancelled the international airshow, while NATO allies expressed condolences over the pilot’s death.
Hence, we can ascertain that the viral claim is false.