Claim: Image allegedly claims to show two Iranian fighter jets that have been shot during a recent conflict in January 2026.
Conclusion: The claim is false. No credible evidence supports such incident occurring in January 2026. The image shared is of a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 aircraft that was shot down by Turkish F16 jets back in 2015.
Rating: Totally False — 
Several social media users have shared an image of a jet shot down, linking it to Iranian fighter jets shot during a recent conflict. Verified X user ‘IsraelArmyStan’ shared such an image, claiming that “the war has Started” and that two Iranian fighter jets have been shot down, accompanied by a collage image depicting a burning aircraft in flight and crashing. This assertion implies a recent escalation in Israel-Iran tensions, potentially linked to ongoing protests in Iran and fears of U.S. or Israeli strikes. The post gained 2.2 million views and can be seen below –
The war has Started
Two Iranian fighter jets have been shot down. pic.twitter.com/N3KliURFbQ
— Israel Army (@IsraelArmyStan) January 15, 2026
Other users have shared similar claims that can be seen here and here
BREAKING: Reports claim TWO IRANIAN fighter jets have been shot down as regional tensions skyrocket following US warnings and Iran’s airspace closure. Fears of WAR intensify amid evacuations from Qatar airbase and Trump threats. The Middle East braces for potential escalation.… pic.twitter.com/UT3aT1n5D2
— Freemason (@STARFORCEHH) January 16, 2026
FACT CHECK
DigitEYE India decided to investigate this claim and found it to be false. The image in circulation actually shows a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 that was shot down by Turkish F-16 jets in 2015. There is no reliable evidence to suggest that any such incident took place in January 2026.
Details:
We first conducted a web search with the phrase “two Iranian jets shot down in January 2026” to learn about the claim. Searches for reports on Iranian jets being shot down in January 2026 yielded no results from major media or were there any official statements. There are no reports of any active war engagements or aerial engagements from any country against Iran.
Following this, we conducted a reverse image search to learn about the origin and context. The search took us to an article by The Aviation Geek Club published on November 23, 2023 titled: “The day a Russian Air Force Su-24 attack aircraft was shot down by a Turkish F-16C fighter jet.” We learnt from the article that on November 24, 2015, at least 10 warnings were given by Turkey to the Russian jets that violated the airspace before shooting them down. View a screenshot from a section of the article below –
Another report published by ABC News on 25 November, 2015 also contains one of the images of the Russian jet shot. The report states that “Turkey’s military said two Turkish F-16s were involved in shooting down the plane, which Russia named as a Sukhoi Su-24, after issuing 10 warnings in five minutes.” Furthermore, the Russians argued that their plane did not enter Turkish airspace but was flying over Syria. View a screenshot below-
Other reports by DW News and BBC News on 24 November 2015 have also reported about this incident with images and videos which can be read here and here respectively.
While Iran faces internal unrest, no airstrikes or jet downings have been reported. As of January 17, 2026 Donald Trump has said that the USA will not strike Iran as it has cancelled executions of protestors.
Thus, the claim is false.
