Claim: The video claims to show Iran launching its first domestically manufactured submarine.
Fact: This claim is misleading. The video is from 2023, and is an official video by Japan launching its fourth Taigei-class submarine ｢らいげい｣ Raigei SS-516.
On 16 August, Instagram user global_daily_update posted a video of a submarine being launched in an undisclosed location with the following caption:
“Iran just unveiled its first domestic manufactured Submarine despite American sanctions, limited-naval technology, difficulties and proxy wars since the death of IRGC Quds force commander, Qasim Sulemani.”
Screenshot from Instagram reel
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-image searched the first frame of the video to verify if any such submarine had been launched by the Iranian government. Upon investigation, official reports were found stating a submarine had been launched by Japan in 2023, and was set to be commissioned in 2025. There were no reports found by state run news agencies in Iran reporting the launch of a new submarine..
Visual consistencies prove that the Japanese submarine is clearly the same one that appears in the viral video: a side profile image in one of the reports shows the same red and white colours, and the number 516 which is briefly seen in the top left hand corner of the clip.
Image extracted from Naval News for visual consistency
Even though Soch fact Check was unable to get access to official videos by the Japanese navy, we found a longer and precise video of this launch that allowed us to make a comparison of the exact timeframe of the submarine’s launch. The date October 2023 is displayed here, which matches the reports of when the submarine was launched in Kobe.
Youtube clip displaying date of the launch
As the exact same submarine from the video appears in these official reports, clearly dated to October 2023, we can confirm that the video shows a Japanese submarine and not an Iranian one.
Virality
The Instagram reel received 53K views.
On Facebook the clip received 21 likes and 365 views.
Conclusion: The video does not show Iran’s first ever domestically manufactured submarine. It is from 2023 and shows Japan launching its own submarine. There is no evidence that Iran has manufactured and launched a submarine.
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