Fact Check: Female Israeli pilot captured by Iran? No, image shows a Chilean pilot

On June 13, Israel launched a massive airstrike across Iran, targeting over 100 sites, including nuclear facilities, IRGC bases, and the residences of key commanders. In response, Iran retaliated with multiple waves of missile and drone attacks, striking major urban centres such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

In this context, an image of a woman pilot has been circulating on social media with the claim that it shows an Israeli pilot captured by Iran after her fighter jet was shot down.

One X user shared the image and wrote, “First pilot from #Israel captured in #Iran after her plane was hit today.” (Archive)

A Threads user shared the image with the caption, “An Israeli female pilot, Sarah Ahronot, has been captured in Iran.” (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim false, as the image shows a Chilean pilot.

A reverse image search of the image led us to the same photograph featured in a report published by the website Aeroflap on December 30, 2021, titled “Chilean Navy trains the first woman aviator in its history.”

The report identifies the woman as Lieutenant Daniela Figueroa Scholz, seen with an Embraer EMB-111 bearing the flag of the Chilean Navy. According to the report, Daniela made history on October 14, 2021, by becoming the first woman naval aviator in the Chilean Navy. She graduated at the top of her class, earning qualifications to fly missions such as surveillance, search and rescue, and fisheries patrols in aircraft like the P68 Observer 2. Inspired by her father’s background in aviation, Daniela joined the Naval Academy in 2011 to pursue her passion for flying.

We also found the image featured in reports published by the websites Alert 5 and Dialogo Americas in December 2021. These reports similarly identified the pilot as Daniela Figueroa Scholz, the first female aviator in the history of the Chilean Navy.

Was an Israeli pilot by the name of Sarah Ahronot captured by Iran?

We conducted a keyword search but found no credible reports confirming that Iran captured an Israeli pilot named Sarah Ahronot.

What are the claims by Iran and Israel?

According to a report published by the Tehran Times on June 13, an Iranian Army official claimed that Iran's air defences intercepted two Israeli F-35 fighter jets that had violated its airspace, downing both aircraft and capturing one pilot after she ejected and parachuted into Iranian territory. In contrast, The Times of Israel, in a report published the same day, stated that the IDF denies the claims made by Iran's state media regarding the downing of two Israeli fighter jets and the capture of a pilot.

Therefore, we conclude that the image in question shows the first female pilot of the Chilean Navy, not an Israeli pilot. The claim is false.