Claims were made that it destroyed entire squadrons of the Lockheed Martin F-35I Adir—the Israeli Air Force’s fifth-generation fighter.
Iran launched its largest attack on Israel to date, firing upwards of 180 missiles on Tuesday. Experts have suggested it was larger and more complex than the strikes conducted in April, and the attack employed the Islamic Republic’s Fattah-1 and Kheybarshekan missiles. Israel has claimed that most of the incoming missiles were shot down, and no Israelis were killed—although Palestinian officials reported that a Palestinian man was killed by falling debris.
Damage was also reported to be minimal, but on social media on Wednesday, many pro-Iranian supporters echoed reports from Iranian state media that the missiles successfully struck Israeli airbases. Claims were made that the attack destroyed entire squadrons of the Lockheed Martin F-35I Adir—the Israeli Air Force’s fifth-generation fighter.
Videos on social media showed missiles targeting Tel Aviv, and showing the devastation that the IAF’s F-35s were purported to cause in Gaza. Iranian propagandists have also alleged that Nevatim Air Base, the home of two F-35I squadrons, was also “completely destroyed” in the attack.
Yet another post claimed Palestinian activists disrupted domestic F-35 production by damaging a manufacturing facility. When and where the video was filmed hasn’t been confirmed.
Together, these are the latest attempts to spread misinformation and propaganda without supporting evidence.
“Some of the missiles fired at Israel seem to have hit Israeli airbases, but the claim that dozens of F-35s were destroyed appears to be completely fabricated”, explained Dr. Kurt Braddock, assistant professor of public communication in the School of Communication at American University.
