Claim: A video shows Pakistan moving its troops to the south-western border to support a possible US military strike in Iran.
Fact: The video predates the recent political turmoil in Iran.
On 14 January, an X user posted a video (archive) purportedly showing Pakistan moving soldiers and military equipment to its southwestern border amid recent tensions and nationwide protests in Iran. The description states:
“BREAKING: Reports say Pakistan Army is moving 30,000 more troops toward the Iran border after Army Chief Asim Munir spoke with senior US officials. Sources suggest the deployment could assist US-Israel coordination if a ground operation in Iran begins.”
What is happening in Iran?
A heavy crackdown by Iran to quell the nationwide protests convulsed the country in January, with reports of thousands dead and injured emerging amid a government-imposed communication shutdown that remains in place.
The demonstrations began on 28 December 2025 after the Iranian currency plummeted against the dollar, reaching an all-time low. Shopkeepers and merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar staged a strike which eventually spread to several cities and multiple provinces, becoming a broader demonstration against the regime.
The Iranian government used violent force to suppress (archive) the demonstrations. On 27January, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said that 6,221 people had been killed during the demonstrations, with 17,091 additional deaths still under investigation. 11,017 people were severely injured, according to the same agency, and the number of people detained stood at 42,324.
Reuters cited an Iranian official as saying the death toll stood at 5,000.
An all-out communication services blockage has been imposed by the regime since 8 January, making it difficult for Iranian families abroad to reach their loved ones back home and for news organisations to verify the death toll independently.
US President Donald Trump warned that the US would intervene and take “very strong action” against Iran if it executes demonstrators. However, later, Trump suggested adopting a wait-and-see posture, adding that he has been told the Iranian government’s crackdown on the protests was subsiding, Reuters reported.
According to The Washington Post (archive), Trump said that Iranian authorities had cancelled plans to execute 800 protesters. The report added that a senior U.S. envoy told Trump “that Iran had cancelled the executions and that this development, along with pressure from regional allies, limits on U.S. military resources and concerns over unpredictable fallout, had led him to refrain from ordering strikes last week.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, acknowledged that thousands of people were killed during the protests for the first time recently. He called Trump a “criminal” for supporting protests in Iran and blamed demonstrators for causing deaths.
The brutal crackdown by authorities has suppressed the protests largely, The New York Times reported on 19 January.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check conducted a keyword search and did not find any credible reports about Pakistan sending its troops to the Pakistan-Iran border.
However, we did find reports by Dawn and The Nation that cited the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s rebuttal of claims of Pakistan being used as a base to support the US for a possible military strike in Iran. This raised suspicions that the claims were fake.
Soch Fact Check then reverse-searched keyframes from the clip and found that it is unrelated to the ongoing political tensions in the region.
On 6 May 2025, an X user had posted the same video with the following caption:
“Pakistan military convoys seen on the street as there is intelligence report of possible mutiny in Punjab garrisons. ISI chief and National Security Advisor Gen Asim Malik may takeover power anytime.”
On the left is an X post sharing the video purportedly showing Pakistan moving troops and equipment in January 2026. On the right is the same clip from May 2025.
A reverse-search also revealed that the video (archive) was also posted earlier on Instagram on 27 April 2025, with the following caption:
“Tensions Rise Near Indian Border🇮🇳
Alleged footage shows Pakistan reportedly deploying dozens of Chinese SH-15 self-propelled artillery systems just 80 km from the Indian border.”
The exact clip was also posted on X multiple times on 27 April 2025.
Geolocating one of the scenes from the above clips also reveals it was shot in Lahore, Pakistan. For instance, at 0:13, the signage “Fortress Square Mall” appears on top of the building as trucks pass by, which is located at the coordinates 31.53213819625293, 74.36305713439475. Along with the fact that the video appeared as early as April 2025, this information confirms that the video does not show the Pakistan-Iran border and neither is it linked to the recent Iranian political turmoil.
Although Soch Fact Check could not confirm the video’s exact origins, the fact that it appeared as early as April 2025 confirms that the claim is false.
Virality
The clip appeared on X here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
It also appeared on Facebook here and here.
On TikTok here.
Conclusion: The video in the claim does not show Pakistan sending troops to the Iran border to support a possible US military strike. The clip predates the recent protests in Iran and was shared online as early as April 2025.
Background image in cover photo: Dawn
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