An image claiming to show the wreckage of a US B-2 stealth bomber on Iranian soil has gone viral on social media, sparking widespread speculation following recent US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
On June 22, amid rising tensions in the Middle East, the US military launched coordinated airstrikes targeting three major Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The strikes were carried out using B-2 stealth bombers, among the most advanced long-range aircraft in the US arsenal.
President Donald Trump later announced that the strikes had inflicted “tremendous damage” and had effectively “wiped out” the targeted facilities. However, just hours after the announcement, an image began circulating rapidly online, purporting to show the wreckage of a B-2 bomber allegedly shot down by Iranian air defenses.
The image quickly gained traction, with social media users claiming the aircraft had failed to exit Iranian airspace in time. A widely shared post on platform X (formerly Twitter) declared: “Breaking: Iran shoots down US B-2 bomber,” alongside what appeared to be a photograph of a wrecked aircraft.
The claim, however, was swiftly debunked. Fact-checking organization Newschecker conducted a thorough investigation and determined that the image was not authentic but generated using artificial intelligence. After searching for reports using keywords such as “US B-2 bomber” and “Iran,” Newschecker found no confirmation from reputable media outlets or government sources of any US aircraft being shot down.
In fact, several trusted news agencies reported that the B-2 bombers safely returned to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri after completing their missions. Supporting this, the official White House account on X posted video footage of the stealth bombers landing safely, further disproving the online rumors.
Closer analysis of the viral image revealed several anomalies typical of AI-generated visuals. One figure standing beside the supposed wreckage appeared to have parts of their body merging into the background, while several faces in the image were blurry or distorted—common flaws seen in AI-created images.
To verify its authenticity, Newschecker used several detection tools including Sightengine, IsItAI, and WasItAI. All three platforms concluded with over 99% confidence that the image was artificially generated. Sightengine reported a 99% likelihood the image was created by AI, while WasItAI stated they were “almost certain” the image—or most of it—had been AI-generated.
In conclusion, despite the viral nature of the claim, there is no credible evidence that a US B-2 bomber was shot down over Iran. The image in question has been thoroughly debunked as AI-generated misinformation, underscoring the importance of verifying content before drawing conclusions in times of geopolitical tension.
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Source: Vietnam Insider