Misleading Claims of B-52 Bombers Landing at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar

Amid rising military tensions between the United States and Iran, with increased U.S. air and naval deployments across the Middle East and Israeli efforts to block any deal that would halt Iran’s nuclear program without addressing its ballistic missile program, social media accounts circulated footage allegedly showing U.S. B-52 bombers landing at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The clips quickly went viral, drawing widespread attention and engagement.

Misbar’s team at Al Araby Television examines the circulated footage, analyzes how users interacted with the claims on social media, and investigates their accuracy.

Thousands of Posts Spread Misleading Claims of B-52 Bombers Landing at Al-Udeid Air Base

Misbar’s team analyzed social media activity and found that momentum around the claim of U.S. B-52 bombers landing at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar became apparent on February 7, 8, and 9.

The analysis shows that from February 4 to 9, social media recorded widespread engagement, with 2,729 accounts sharing 4,302 posts related to the claim. The vast majority of these posts focused on video clips, totaling 3,940.

Old Footage Misleadingly Shows U.S. B-52 Bombers at Al-Udeid Air Base

Social media accounts have recently circulated a video claiming to show three U.S. B-52 bombers landing at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, amid recent threats against Iran.

Misbar’s team investigated the circulating video and found it is a reversed version of an older clip. It does not show three B-52 bombers landing at Al-Udeid recently.

The original footage was posted by the U.S. Department of Defense’s DVIDS platform in December 2024. It showed three B-52H Stratofortress bombers from the U.S. Air Force’s 69th Reconnaissance Squadron taking off from the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on December 8.

The last time the U.S. military announced the arrival of strategic B-52 bombers in the Middle East was in November 2024, one day after Washington confirmed it would deploy the bombers as a warning to Iran.

Other social media users also shared clips claiming to show B-52 bombers landing at Al-Udeid.

However, Misbar’s team at Al Araby TV confirmed that the footage is misleading. It dates back to 2025 and does not document U.S. bombers landing at Al-Udeid as part of any military buildup against Iran.

The footage was originally posted on official U.S. Air Force platforms, including DVIDS and the Special Warfare Training Wing website, in October 2025. It shows B-52 bombers from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana taking off from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas during the Global Thunder 26 exercise on October 29, 2025.

The U.S. Strategic Command launched its annual Global Thunder 26 nuclear command and control exercise on October 21, 2025, officially opening it at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

Some social media posts also claimed to show U.S. B-52 bombers arriving at Al-Udeid in preparation for strikes on Iran.

Misbar’s investigation found that these clips were outdated. One video, posted by the Special Warfare Training Wing on November 25, 2024, shows two B-52H bombers taxiing at RAF Fairford in the U.K. before taking off for the APEX JET exercise.

The U.S. Air Force noted that the 20th Squadron, which operates the bombers, participated in APEX JET as part of joint exercises with NATO partners, including close air interception operations and providing air support.

Oman Talks Between Washington and Tehran Show Progress

U.S. and Iranian diplomats held indirect talks in Oman over the past weekend in an effort to reopen diplomatic channels, while the U.S. fleet continued to strengthen its naval presence near Iran amid Tehran’s threats of retaliation.

After the first round of talks in Muscat, U.S. President Donald Trump described the discussions as “very good” and said both sides would meet again early next week. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the atmosphere as “extremely positive,” calling the negotiations a “good start.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged the Iranian people to remain steadfast in the face of external pressures, emphasizing the need to resist and thwart enemy efforts.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would meet with President Trump next Wednesday to discuss the outcome of the talks, stressing that any negotiations should include limits on ballistic missiles and an end to support for Iran’s regional allies.

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