April 11, 2026 | 03:02 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A video claiming to show U.S. troops arriving at the Pakistan-Iran border for a ground offensive began circulating on Instagram [archive], Facebook, and X on April 5, 2026.
The footage features personnel in desert-colored military uniforms in a scrubland area, an aircraft carrier at sea, and troops landing on a beach. The video is accompanied by the caption: "Tensions are rising, U.S. ground troops have arrived at the Pakistan-Iran border."
However, does the footage truly document U.S. forces arriving at the Pakistan-Iran border?
FACT CHECK
Tempo verified the content through a reverse image search and compared the narrative against credible media reports. In reality, the video does not show U.S. troops landing on the Pakistan-Iran border.
Clip 1
The first clip, showing a line of soldiers in a grassland, has been circulating on TikTok @Zafar.khan0859 and Instagram ???? ????? since mid-January 2026. This footage appeared before the United States and Israel launched attacks on February 28, 2026.
Several accounts have identified the location as the Tirah Valley in Pakistan’s Khyber Province, which borders Afghanistan. However, these location claims remain unverified.
Clip 2
The second clip, appearing at the 22-second mark, is actually footage from the Atlantic Alliance 2025 military exercise. According to the U.S. Army Reserve Innovation Command (USARIC) website on June 30, 2025, the exercise on the U.S. East Coast was designed to improve soldiers' capacity in integrated coastal warfare.
This video also circulated on Facebook in 2024 with a false claim of a U.S. troop landing in Taiwan, as previously verified by AFP fact-checkers.
Clip 3
A third clip, showing an aircraft carrier at sea, was uploaded by the TikTok account US.pilot.force on December 8, 2025, before the current conflict with Iran broke out.
Ground Attack Plan
President Trump had previously threatened a ground attack on Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. However, according to ABC, the United States subsequently announced a two-week ceasefire and talks for negotiations.
The ceasefire has been fragile from the start. Tempo reported that Israel attacked Lebanon again on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, under the pretext of striking the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.
CONCLUSION
Tempo's verification concluded that the video narrative suggesting the United States military movement for a ground attack on Iran is a false claim.
TEMPO FACT-CHECK TEAM
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