The Indian government on Sunday officially dismissed social media reports claiming that the United States military used Indian airspace to launch Operation Midnight Hammer a coordinated strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check unit labelled the reports as “FAKE” and clarified that no US aircraft entered Indian airspace during the mission.
The clarification came in response to a wave of misinformation circulating on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), suggesting that India had allowed the US military to cross its airspace to strike three nuclear sites in Iran Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
PIB Calls Viral Claims ‘Baseless’
“Several social media accounts have claimed that Indian Airspace was used by the United States to launch aircraft against Iran during Operation Midnight Hammer. This claim is FAKE,” said PIB’s Fact Check unit in a post on X. The statement emphasized that the Indian government had no involvement in the US air operation and that the United States took alternative flight routes, avoiding Indian territory altogether.
Several social media accounts have claimed that Indian Airspace was used by the United States to launch aircrafts against Iran during Operation #MidnightHammer #PIBFactCheck
❌ This claim is FAKE
❌Indian Airspace was NOT used by the United States during Operation… pic.twitter.com/x28NSkUzEh
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) June 22, 2025
To support this clarification, the PIB cited an official press briefing by General Dan Caine, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who presented detailed flight path maps and a timeline of the operation.
What Happened in Operation Midnight Hammer?
The controversial and high-risk US military strike, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, was launched under the direction of former President Donald Trump, who called the attack a “spectacular military success.” The operation targeted three critical Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities using advanced weaponry, including:
-
B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to deliver GBU-57 MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) bombs
-
Tomahawk missiles to strike the Isfahan site
According to General Dan Caine, the mission began at around 6:40 PM EST (2:10 AM Iran time), with the bombers executing precise attacks on Fordow and Natanz. Isfahan was targeted last using Tomahawk cruise missiles, maintaining the element of surprise throughout the strike.
US Denies Using Indian Skies, Shares Tactical Map
During the Pentagon press conference, General Caine detailed the strategic movements of the seven B-2 bombers used in the strike, each carrying two crew members. These aircraft were launched from the United States, while decoy aircraft were deployed into the Pacific to divert attention from the real operation.
“The main strike package proceeded quietly to the East with minimal communications,” said Caine, adding that tactical deception, including use of decoys, played a major role in the mission’s success. The shared maps and flight data showed that the US air operation never crossed into Indian airspace.
Why the Misinformation Spread?
Speculation of Indian involvement gained currency after some X users either misread the flight tracking data or simply took some dubious geopolitical assumptions. The international scenario was just ripe to welcome this speculation with the US doing his bit to raise global concerns by intervening in the Iran-Israel conflict.
Social media had delicately insinuated New Delhi’s complicity with Washington in the strike, thus creating a wide spectrum of debates online. PIB was quick to act against these misinformation, which also includes official sources of the Government of India.
Rising Regional Tensions Post-Strike
The escalation of the US operation has intensified fears of further escalation in the Middle East. Military analysts fear retaliation from Iran, perhaps through the use of proxies such as Hezbollah to attack US assets in the region. The Pentagon stated that even though there have been no overt threats reported against civil aviation, the risk has risen substantially in Middle Eastern airspace.
The airlines had already started rerouting flights to avoid high-risk zones over Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Israel, thus higher costs, delays, and operational disruptions around the world have ensued.
The Indian government’s absolute denial, in the name of information from the Pentagon, thereby nullified all speculations regarding Indian participation in the US strike on Iran. In a situation where tensions still run high, there can be nothing more essential than exact information and government-led fact-checking to prevent any unfortunate escalation in diplomatic relations.
The incident also points toward the whirlwind speed with which misleading information manages to gain rapid circulation on the online platforms, and by doing so, adds to the creation of foreign policy narratives and public opinion. India and US have therefore taken unfaltering and transparent stands regarding Operation Midnight Hammer against the disinformation campaign in an attempt to maintain the diplomatic balance in the region.
ALSO READ: SC Welcomes Detention In Cybercrime Cases, Duggal Urges AI-Ready Legal Framework
