Fact check: Viral video does not show Pakistani jets escorting Iranian delegation for Islamabad talks; it's old

Multiple users, including PML-N supporters, were sharing a video across social media platforms since Thursday, claiming it shows Pakistani fighter jets escorting an Iranian delegation to Islamabad for talks. However, the video is old and shows Pakistani jets greeting the plane of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince during his visit on February 17, 2019. Backchannel diplomatic efforts by Pakistan paid off, as the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday, after weeks of escalating hostilities triggered by US-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026, which quickly spiralled into a wider regional conflict. Pakistan emerged as a central diplomatic actor in securing the ceasefire between the US and Iran, 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 US arriving in Islamabad. How it started On Thursday, an account, that repeatedly shares memes on political events based on its past posts shared a video on X allegedly showing Pakistani fighter jets with the following caption: “Pakistani fighter jets spotted to escort the Iranian delegation to Pakistan safely.” The post gained 1.5 million views. Another user, who, according to his X bio, is a journalist, shared the same video in a similar context with the following caption: “Breaking: Pakistan send fighter jets and AWACS over Iranian airspace to escort Iran’s delegation to Islamabad safely.” The post garnered 516,000 views. A pro-Iranian user, based on their profile picture and past posts, shared the same video with a similar caption on X. The post gained 267,000 views. A Palestinian user, based on his bio, 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 their past posts, shared the same video with a similar caption on X. The post gained 128,000 views on X. A pro-Israeli account, based on its profile picture and past post, shared the same video on X with the caption: “Nothing illustrates a win like this. An Iranian delegation is flying to Pakistan for negotiations with Pakistani fighter jets as escorts.” The post attracted 362,000 views. The video was widely shared on several social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and X, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here; collectively accumulating 220,000 views. Methodology A fact check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the US-Israel war with Iran, along with Pakistan’s role as mediator. Some people were observed in the comments sections of the posts to be disputing the video. A reverse image search was conducted 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 into Islamabad”. https://www.facebook.com/ImranKhanOfficial/videos/hrh-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-of-saudi-arabia-received-a-glorious-welcome/999772933559751/ According to the description, Pakistan sent fighter jets to greet the plane of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) ahead of a high-profile visit on February 17, 2019. A keyword search conducted on the visit yielded the same video in a similar context, which was shared by then-prime minister Imran Khan on his Facebook profile, and then-ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, on X dated February 17, 2019. A keyword search of relevant news reports found that Dawn, in a report titled, “Saudi crown prince arrives in Pakistan amid fanfare, received by PM Khan on red carpet,” stated that a formation of JF-17 Thunder and F-16 fighter jets escorted the Saudi royal’s plane after it entered Pakistani airspace. Meanwhile, no local Pakistani, Iranian or international media reports confirmed that Pakistani fighter jets escorted an Iranian delegation for the Islamabad talks. However, several users and journalists shared flight radar images claiming that the Pakistan Air Force had done so. Fact-check status: Misleading The claim that a viral video shows Pakistani fighter jets escorting an Iranian delegation for the Islamabad talks is misleading. The video is old from February 17, 2019, and shows Pakistani jets greeting MBS on his visit. This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.