Fact Check: no evidence that photos of rescued U.S. air crew are authentic

Reuters features the expertise of Siwei Lyu in an article fact checking viral images of U.S. soldiers rescued from Iran. Lyu told Reuters the image was likely AI-generated, citing multiple artifacts, including an unauthorized flag patch in the center of one person’s chest and a mismatched insignia incorrectly placed on a distorted shoulder pocket. ​He added that the U.S. ​flag held by the officer ⁠had incorrect geometry, with the wrong number of stars and stripes. Other signs included a headset microphone that appeared to float, facial hair blending into the collar and a hand with malformed, jointless ​fingers, he said.