An old video from Japan showing the launch of a submarine is being circulated online with the false claim that it shows Iran unveiling its first domestically manufactured nuclear-powered submarine amid recent regional military conflicts.
BOOM found that the video is from Japan and shows the launch of the fourth Taigei-class submarine built for Japan's Ministry of Defense (MOD) in 2023.
The Middle East has faced a prolonged military conflict since the United States and Israel launched joint military operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran in February this year. The conflict has led to a major energy crisis across the globe, with the Strait of Hormuz choked by the Iranian Navy and geopolitical tensions surrounding it. The video has been circulated against the backdrop of these developments.
The Claim
The video is being shared with the caption, "Iran is unveiling its first domestically manufactured nuclear-powered submarine... Despite all the difficulties and wars, this is how they accomplish what no one in the entire region has achieved!"
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
What We Found: Video Shows Japanese Submarine RAIGEI Being Launched in 2023
1. Video is old and unrelated: We broke the video into keyframes and conducted reverse image searches. We found the same video posted by the verified Instagram account @themaritimenet on October 24, 2025, predating the recent military conflict involving Iran and the US and its allies.
While the post did not provide details about the submarine, a further reverse image search of the keyframes led us to a YouTube video carrying the same footage, which identified the submarine as Japan's SS-516.
2. Launch of the submarine in 2023: When we searched the official website of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for information about Japan's submarine with ship number 516, we found that the naming and launching ceremony for the FY2020 planned diesel-electric submarine RAIGEI was held at Kawasaki Heavy Industries' Kobe Plant on October 17, 2023.
The visuals of the ceremony were also posted on the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's YouTube channel and official X handle.