Princess Salma bint Abdullah, the third child of King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan, is a pilot in the Royal Jordanian Air Force. However, the viral photo circulating on social media, which shows her in her air force pilot uniform, is misleading.
The claim that she participated in an operation to bring down Iranian drones has not been confirmed by any official source.
Princess Salma of Jordan who is a pilot reportedly shot down 5 Iranian drones last night pic.twitter.com/iPPP0Y6lFI
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) April 14, 2024
Social media has been abuzz with claims that Princess Salma of Jordan downed six Iranian drones last night. Accompanying these claims is a widely circulated photo of the 23-year-old Princess in her Jordanian air force pilot uniform.
However, it’s important to note that this photo is from 2023, as confirmed by multiple news articles from last year that feature the same image.
Following the posts’ viral spread, X, formerly known as Twitter, introduced Community Notes. This feature empowers users to collaboratively add context and fact-check potentially misleading or false posts.
The viral social media posts asserting that Princess Salma bint Abdullah, shot down Iranian drones that had entered Jordanian airspace en route to Israel are misleading and unfounded.
There is no official confirmation to support the claim that she participated in any operation to intercept Iranian drones.
The original article headline, as stated, indeed reads: “Princess Salma of Jordan leads Air Force initiative to airdrop medical supplies in Gaza”. This article was published on December 15, 2023.
The intent behind the circulation of digitally altered news articles appears to be propagandist, with the aim of influencing opinions amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran .
In December of last year, Princess Salma bint Abdullah played a crucial role in an airlift operation that delivered much-needed aid to a 41-bed Jordanian field hospital located in northern Gaza.
As a first lieutenant in the Royal Jordanian Air Force, she exemplified her commitment to humanitarian efforts by ensuring that essential supplies reached those in need.
Princess Salma’s remarkable journey began in 2020, when she became Jordan’s first-ever female pilot.
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