Fact Check: AI Video Falsely Depicts Iran Downing US B-2 Bomber

March 12, 2026 | 10:00 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A video showing a United States B-2 bomber being shot down by Iran circulated on Instagram [archive] and X accounts on March 8, 2026. The content shows the aircraft’s fuselage being paraded on a large truck through city streets.

In another clip, Washington’s flagship aircraft appears to have crashed in a hilly area. The circulating narrative claims that three crew members were captured by green-uniformed troops from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The post went viral amid rising escalation between Tehran and US allies in the Gulf region.

So, is it true that a US B-2 bomber was shot down by Iran?

FACT CHECK

Tempo verified the content through image analysis and by comparing it with reports from credible sources. The result shows that the content was created using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

A search through the Google search engine did not find credible reports confirming claims that a United States B-2 bomber had been shot down by Iranian forces. A reverse image search also found no media reports or official government releases regarding the incident.

US authorities only released a message of condolences over the deaths of six personnel in Operation Epic Fury through the Instagram account @Whitehouse on March 7, 2026. Yet a week earlier, the B-2 stealth bomber fleet had indeed struck Iranian missile facilities using 2,000-pound bombs—but without any reports of losing aircraft.

AI Content Detected

Based on visual analysis, Tempo identified several irregularities in the image. First, the three captured crew members do not appear injured even though the fighter aircraft was claimed to have been shot down.

Second, the prisoners tied at the back appear anomalous because their bodies and hands merge with those of other detainees.

Tempo’s findings were reinforced by a scan from the AI detection tool Hive Moderation, which recorded a 99.9 percent probability that the content contains AI elements.

The AI detection results for the video content also indicated that it was AI-generated. The Hive Moderation detection tool showed the content is 99.9 percent AI-generated.

About B-2 Bomber

The Air and Space Forces website reported that B-2 bombers were used to strike Iran. The aircraft departed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.

The B-2 aircraft was also used in Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025 against Iran’s nuclear facilities and in Operation Rough Rider last spring to bomb Houthi targets in Yemen.

The aircraft was also used against the Houthis under the Biden administration in 2024.

CONCLUSION

Tempo’s verification concludes that the claim that an American B-2 bomber was shot down by Iran is false.

TEMPO FACT-CHECK TEAM

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