Footage recently circulated by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps–affiliated accounts claiming to show fresh drone surveillance of a U.S. aircraft carrier has been confirmed as outdated material originating from at least 2021. The video, which went viral across social media platforms linked to Iranian state and proxy media, depicts Iranian drones tracking the USS Abraham Lincoln while it was operating in the Persian Gulf several years ago, not during current U.S. naval deployments.

Further verification reveals that the same footage was publicly reported in April 2021, including imagery published in a New York Post article at the time. The resurfacing of this material appears deliberate, aligning with a recurring Iranian information tactic of recycling old media to exaggerate present-day military capabilities and manufacture the appearance of heightened confrontation with the United States.

By presenting recycled footage as recent, IRGC-aligned outlets aim to project deterrence and regional dominance, particularly amid renewed American naval presence and ongoing pressure against Iranian aggression and proxy activity. This pattern underscores Tehran’s continued reliance on information warfare and perception management rather than demonstrable changes on the ground.

The reemergence of the 2021 USS Abraham Lincoln surveillance video serves as a reminder that viral military content originating from adversarial state actors should be scrutinized carefully. In an era of rapid information dissemination, the recycling of old footage remains a key tool used by hostile regimes to mislead audiences, inflate threats, and shape strategic narratives without altering reality.