Fact Check: US helicopters flee Dubai? No, old video falsely shared
A video on social media claims to show US army aircraft fleeing Dubai after Iranian attacks.
By - Rahul Adhikari
Claim:The video shows the US army fleeing Dubai after attacks from Iran.
Fact:False. A video captured on the UAE’s Day of Solidarity on January 17 was falsely linked to the ongoing Iran‑US conflict.
Hyderabad: Iran’s retaliatory attack has struck several Middle Eastern countries, including the UAE, targeting US and allied military positions following the alleged killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint US-Israel operation.
In this context, a video was shared on social media claiming that the US is evacuating its air fleet to flee Dubai amid Iranian airstrikes. The video shows helicopters flying across the skies of Dubai near the shore.
Several users shared the video on X. One such user wrote, “BREAKING: US aircraft is fleeing Dubai.” (Archive 1, Archive 2)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The video shows helicopters flying over Dubai during the UAE Day of Solidarity on January 17 and is unrelated to the recent attacks.
Origin of the video
A reverse image search of the video’s keyframes led us to an Instagram post stating that the clip shows helicopters flying on the UAE’s Day of Solidarity.
A user named Anastacia Snelleksz shared the same video on the platform, with a caption saying it shows helicopters flying over Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.
The caption read, “Today is the UAE’s Day of Solidarity. A reminder of unity, strength, and collective spirit. Watching the fly-past sweep over Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab was one of those uniquely Dubai moments. There’s a lot to appreciate about living in a place that celebrates togetherness alongside progress. #aussieindubai #dubai #uaedayofsolidarity”
The video was posted on January 17; the account has many other videos related to Dubai.
We also found videos of the Day of Solidarity celebrations in Dubai on YouTube. One video showed fighter jets conducting a flypast over the Burj Al Arab, leaving coloured trails behind them. Another video showed helicopters flying across the sky in the UAE. A report published by The Times of India also showed the flypast leaving coloured trails.
What UAE Day of Solidarity?
UAE Day of Solidarity is observed annually on January 17 to mark the nation’s unity, strength and resilience following the deadly Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi in January 2022, which targeted civilian infrastructure and resulted in civilian casualties.
