A video from February 17, 2019, unrelated to the current peace talks, shows Pakistani planes greeting MBS on his visit.
Multiple users, including PML-N supporters, shared a video on social media platforms since Thursday, claiming that it shows Pakistani fighter jets escorting an Iranian delegation to Islamabad for talks. However, the video is old and shows Pakistani planes greeting the Saudi Crown Prince’s plane during his visit on February 17, 2019.
Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts bore fruit as the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday, after weeks of escalating hostilities sparked by the US and Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026, which quickly degenerated into a broader regional conflict.
Pakistan emerged as a central diplomatic player in securing the US-Iran ceasefire, 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, with delegations from Iran and the United States arriving in Islamabad.
how it started
On Thursday, an account that repeatedly shares memes about political events based on its previous posts. shared an X-video purportedly showing Pakistani fighter jets with the following caption: “Pakistani fighter jets seen escorting Iranian delegation to Pakistan safely.”
The post garnered 1.5 million views.
Another user, who according to his biography X 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 escort Iran delegation to Islamabad safely.”
The publication obtained 516,000 views.
A pro-Iranian user, according to his profile photo and previous posts, shared the same video with a similar title on X. The post got 267,000 views.
A Palestinian user, according to his biography, shared the same video with the following caption: “Breaking: Pakistani fighter jets are escorting the Iranian delegation to Pakistan safely. Pakistan has officially joined the war.”
The post attracted 794,000 views.
A person who appears to be a PML-N supporter, based on his previous posts, shared the same video with a similar title on X. The post got 128,000 views on X.
A pro-Israel account, based on his profile photo and previous post, shared the same video in X with the caption: “Nothing illustrates a victory like this. An Iranian delegation is flying to Pakistan to negotiate with Pakistani fighter jets as escort.”
The post attracted 362,000 views.
The video was widely shared on various social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, instagramand X, as you can see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, hereand here; collectively accumulating 220,000 views.
Methodology
A fact check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and the high public interest in the US-Israel war with Iran, along with Pakistan’s role as a mediator.
Some people in the comments sections of the posts were seen questioning the video.
A reverse image search was performed 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 to Islamabad.”
According to the description, Pakistan sent fighter jets to receive the plane from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) ahead of a high-profile visit on February 17, 2019.
A keyword search conducted during the visit turned up the same video in a similar context, which was shared by the then prime minister. Imran Khan on his Facebook profile, and from the then ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafon day X dated February 17, 2019.
A keyword search on relevant news reports found that SunriseIn a report titled “Saudi Crown Prince Arrives in Pakistan Amid Fanfare, Greeted by PM Khan on Red Carpet,” stated that a formation of JF-17 Thunder and F-16 fighter jets escorted the Saudi royal plane after it entered Pakistani airspace.
Meanwhile, no local Pakistani, Iranian or international media reports confirmed that Pakistani fighter jets escorted an Iranian delegation to the Islamabad talks.
However, several users and journalists shared in-flight radar images claiming that it was done by the Pakistan Air Force.
Fact Check Status: Misleading
The claim that a viral video shows Pakistani fighter jets escorting an Iranian delegation to Islamabad talks is misleading.
The video is old from February 17, 2019 and shows Pakistani planes greeting MBS on his visit.
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan, a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.
