Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Photo shows Chilean pilot, not Israeli pilot captured by Iran
If Your Time is short
-
The image shows the first female pilot in the Chilean Navy, not an Israeli pilot "captured by Iran."
An image of an alleged captured Israeli female pilot took off on social media as the war between Israel and Iran grew increasingly turbulent.
Pro-Iranian accounts on X and Facebook identified the smiling woman in the photo as "Sarah Ahronot," saying she was "captured in Iran."
However, PolitiFact performed a reverse image search to find that the pictured woman is Chilean pilot Daniela Figueroa Scholz, who made history in 2021 as the Chilean Navy’s first female pilot.
An article from Diálogo Américas, a digital military magazine published by U.S. Southern Command, features a higher-resolution version of Scholz’s image that includes her clearly identifiable name on her uniform.
(Screengrab from X)
Featured Fact-check
Israel attacked Iran on June 13, killing senior military commanders and nuclear scientists, along with an unconfirmed number of civilians, including children. Iran retaliated with missile barrages, striking near homes in the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, The Associated Press reported.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
The U.S. on June 21 carried out strikes against three nuclear facilities in Iran. Damage assessments are ongoing.
We found no credible sources supporting the claim that Iran captured an Israeli pilot named Sarah Ahronot. Fact-checkers at NewsGuard found this image and claim were shared by Iranian state media outlets, one in a number of instances in which Iran used misleading information to "inflate (Iran’s) military successes and downplay losses."
We rate the claim this photo shows a captured Israeli pilot False.
Our Sources
X post, June 13, 2025
X post, June 13, 2025
Facebook post, June 14, 2025
Diálogo Américas, First female pilot marks milestone in the Chilean Navy, Dec. 23, 2021
BBC, Israel's overnight strike on Iran in maps and images, June 13, 2025
AP News, Israel strikes Iran’s nuclear sites and kills top generals. Iran retaliates with missile barrages, June 18, 2025
Snopes, Don't be fooled by this video claiming to show Iran downing Israeli fighter jets, June 16, 2025
NewsGuard, When Down is Up: Top 10 Iranian State Media False Claims of Losses by Israel, June 17, 2025
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Gabrielle Lazor
Photo shows Chilean pilot, not Israeli pilot captured by Iran
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.