Video from 17 February 2019, unrelated to current peace talks, shows Pakistani jets greeting MBS on his visit
Several users, including PML-N supporters, have since Thursday shared a video across social media platforms claiming it shows Pakistani fighter jets escorting an Iranian delegation to Islamabad for talks. However, the video is old and shows Pakistani jets saluting the plane of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince during his visit on February 17, 2019.
Pakistan’s backchannel diplomatic efforts paid off when the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday, after weeks of escalating hostilities triggered by US-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026, which quickly escalated into a wider regional conflict.
Pakistan emerged as a key diplomatic player in securing the ceasefire between the US and Iran, actively facilitating communication between the two sides at a critical stage of the conflict. The effort resulted in a two-week ceasefire. Pakistan will now host talks between the two sides on Saturday, when delegations from Iran and the US arrive in Islamabad.
How it started
On Thursday, an account that repeatedly shares memes about political events based on its previous posts shared a video on X purportedly showing Pakistani fighter jets with the following caption: “Pakistani fighter jets seen escorting Iranian delegation to Pakistan safely.”
The post got 1.5 million views.
Another user, who according to his X bio is a journalist, shared the same video in a similar context with the following caption: “Breaking: Pakistan sends fighter jets and AWACS over Iranian airspace to safely escort Iran’s delegation to Islamabad.”
The post received 516,000 views.
A pro-Iranian user, based on their profile picture and previous posts, shared the same video with a similar caption on X. The post got 267,000 views.
A Palestinian user, based on his biography, shared the same video with the following caption: “Breaking: Pakistani fighter jets safely escort Iranian delegation to Pakistan. Pakistan has officially joined the war.”
The post attracted 794,000 views.
Someone who appears to be a PML-N supporter, based on their previous posts, shared the same video with a similar caption on X. The post got 128,000 views on X.
A pro-Israel account, based on its profile picture and previous posts, shared the same video on X with the caption: “Nothing illustrates a victory like this. An Iranian delegation flies to Pakistan to negotiate with Pakistani fighter jets as escort.”
The post attracted 362,000 views.
The video was widely shared on several social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagramand X, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, hereand here; total accumulated 220,000 views.
Method
A fact-check was launched to determine the truth of the claim due to its virality and great public interest in the US-Israel war with Iran, along with Pakistan’s role as a mediator.
Some people were observed in the comment sections of the posts to dispute the video.
A reverse image search was conducted to trace the origin of the viral video, which yielded the same footage on YouTube, uploaded by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on February 18, 2019 with the title: “Pakistan fighters escort Saudi crown prince into Islamabad”.
According to the description, Pakistan sent fighter jets to greet Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) plane ahead of a high-profile visit on February 17, 2019.
A keyword search conducted during the visit returned the same video in a similar context shared by the then Prime Minister Imran Khan on his Facebook profile and the then governing party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafon X dated 17 February 2019.
A keyword search of relevant news reports found it Dawnin a report titled, “Saudi crown prince arrives in Pakistan amid fanfare, received by Prime Minister Khan on red carpet,” stated that a formation of JF-17 Thunder and F-16 fighter jets escorted the Saudi royal’s plane after it entered Pakistani airspace.
Meanwhile, no local Pakistani, Iranian or international media reports confirmed that Pakistani fighter jets were escorting an Iranian delegation to the Islamabad talks.
But several users and journalists shared aircraft radar images and claimed that the Pakistan Air Force had done it.
Fact Check Status: Misleading
The claim that a viral video shows Pakistani fighter jets escorting an Iranian delegation to the Islamabad talks is misleading.
The video is old from 17 February 2019 and shows Pakistani jets greeting MBS on his visit.
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan – a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.
