An image of military personnel boarding a large U.S. Air Force plane is going viral on social media. This image is shared in context of political unrest in Iran resulting in massive protests.
Social media users are claiming that after the unrest in Iran, the United States is now evacuating its military presence in Iraq as well. The claim suggests that the viral image of the US army boarding a plane is from Iraq.
However, Fact Crescendo found the claim to be false. This is an old image from Niger and not from Iraq and is not related to recent unrest in Iran.
Fact Check-
A Google Reverse Image Search led us to the same image published in an article in a website on 6 August 2024. According to the information, the US military withdrew its forces and equipment out of Air Base 201 in Agadez, Niger on 5 August 2024. This was done more than a month ahead of schedule with cooperation from Niger’s military. U.S. troops had worked at the base for 15 years, training Nigerien forces and supporting regional efforts against extremist groups.
On 5 August 2024, Reuters reported that the US military withdrew from Air Base 201, a major drone base in Niger. After Niger’s military leaders took power in a coup, they ordered the U.S. forces to leave the country. The base had been an important location for U.S. surveillance and intelligence work against extremist groups in the region.
Conclusion:
Fact Crescendo found the claim to be false. This is an old image from Niger and not from Iraq and is not related to recent unrest in Iran.
Title:The image of the US soldiers evacuating is not from Iraq. Old image from Niger viral with misleading claim.
Fact Check By: Siddharth SahuResult: False
