On Sunday, Iran’s Mehr News Agency published an image it said showed the wreckage of destroyed American aircraft. Citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps public relations office, the agency claimed the photo included debris from a US military aircraft, along with what it described as possible remains of an American service member. The image quickly spread across social media, though its authenticity has not been independently verified.
Commenting on the post, X influencer Mario Nawfal wrote, “Iran claims that the skull of a U.S. servicemember was found in the wreckage of a destroyed C-130. U.S. CENTCOM says no personnel were killed and confirms the aircraft were deliberately destroyed by U.S. forces. Tehran also claims it shot them down, contradicting the U.S. version of events. No confirmation yet. Take any Iranian claims with a massive grain of salt, especially with the ongoing propaganda war.”
The image drew mixed reactions online, with some users expressing concern and others questioning its authenticity. Several commenters suggested the image could be misleading or digitally altered.
One person commented, “This pic came from the wreckage of a downed American C-130 in Iran. That’s a skull. Trump is sacrificing American blood to water the soil of Greater Israel, and this is only the beginning.”
Another user wrote, “That doesn’t even look like a skull, and it can easily be AI.”
US officials have not publicly commented on the specific image, and its authenticity has not been independently verified by HT.com.
Greg Abbott shares AI image
Separately, on Sunday, US President Donald Trump said that an American service member who went missing in Iran after the reported downing of an F-15E jet had been rescued.
In a Truth Social post, he wrote, “We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran. The Iranian Military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close. He is a highly respected Colonel. This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to ‘man and equipment.’ It just doesn’t happen! The second raid came after the first one, where we rescued the pilot in broad daylight, also unusual, spending seven hours over Iran. An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all!”
US authorities have not publicly identified the service member or released any images of him.
An AI-generated image purporting to show the “honorable Colonel being rescued” circulated widely on X.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott appeared to mistake it for a genuine photograph and reposted it, commenting: “This is so awesome.”