In the chaotic hours following the U.S. air strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22 2025, social-media timelines in India were flooded with sensational posts alleging that American fighter jets had flown through Indian airspace to reach their targets. The posts, often accompanied by doctored flight-tracking screenshots and misleading maps, quickly went viral, racking up tens of thousands of shares on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and encrypted messaging groups.

Within hours, India’s official PIB Fact Check unit intervened, issuing a categorical denial:

“Fake claim: U.S. aircraft used Indian airspace to bomb Iran. Reality: No U.S. military flight took the India route,” the bureau posted, attaching a red-stamped “FAKE” label on one of the viral images.

How the Rumour Began

The rumour appears to have originated from a misinterpretation of a late-night Pentagon press briefing, where Gen. Dan Caine, Vice-Chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, outlined the aerial refuelling and flight corridors used for the Iran operation. The general mentioned “long-range ingress routes over international waters,” a phrase some online commentators misconstrued as implying an eastern flight path over South Asia.

Misinformation entrepreneurs on social media ran with the ambiguity, fabricating “radar plots” that purportedly showed stealth bombers leaving an air-to-air refuelling track above the Andaman Sea, then cutting across mainland India toward the Arabian Sea. These images, however, were later found to be photoshopped overlays of dated civilian flight-radar data.

PIB’s Evidence-Based Rebuttal

Responding swiftly, PIB Fact Check cited direct transcripts from Gen. Caine’s briefing:

• “All sorties approached the target zone via the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf corridors, assisted by in-flight refuelling from assets based in Europe and the Gulf,” Gen. Caine stated.

PIB also drew on inputs from the Indian Air Force’s Air Traffic Management Directorate, confirming no U.S. military flight plan had been filed—mandatory under civil-military coordination protocols—nor had any radar track indicated Western aircraft entering Indian FIR (Flight Information Region) zones on or before June 22.

Why Such Rumours Thrive

Experts point to a “geostrategic vacuum” in public understanding. As Middle-East tensions escalate—triggered by the U.S. strike that followed days of Israel-Iran hostilities—information voids give rise to social-media speculation. Add to this longstanding narratives about India’s strategic location and potential involvement in U.S. power projection, and the rumour mill becomes fertile.

Government’s Appeal for Vigilance

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a short advisory:

“We urge citizens to verify wartime claims via official channels. False narratives risk stoking unnecessary alarm and damaging India’s diplomatic posture.”

The government has repeatedly emphasised India’s policy of careful neutrality in the Iran-Israel-U.S. triangle, focusing instead on safeguarding energy security and the welfare of its diaspora in the Gulf.

Broader Context: Regional Conflict & Misinformation

• The U.S. strike—involving 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles—targeted Iran’s Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan enrichment sites.

• Iran’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani warned of a “proportionate response,” raising fears of new flashpoints in the Strait of Hormuz.

• Misinformation spikes accompany each military escalation, from bogus casualty figures to fake images of downed aircraft, prompting both India and global fact-checking bodies to bolster real-time verification.

Staying Informed: Practical Tips

1. Cross-verify: Always match sensational claims with official handles—PIB, MEA, or trusted global outlets.

2. Check timestamps: Old war footage often resurfaces labelled as “breaking.”

3. Beware of deepfakes: AI-generated radar maps and doctored satellite imagery can appear convincing.

4. Report false content: Platforms in India allow quick flagging to curb viral spread.

Conclusion

The PIB Fact Check episode underscores how quickly fake narratives can travel in a hyper-connected world, especially during geopolitical crises. India’s prompt debunking preserved not just factual clarity but also diplomatic nuance, ensuring that domestic and international observers understood New Delhi was not militarily complicit in the latest U.S. action.

In an era where a single viral tweet can sway sentiment, the ability to verify before amplifying remains the first line of defence against misinformation.

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