Iraq May 2022, Baghdad Phantom
ISR mission infrared footage from May 2022 supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, capturing an unidentified small object during routine surveillance over Iraq.
DOW-UAP-PR21: ISR mission infrared footage from CENTCOM Operation Inherent Resolve, May 2022.
AARO / US Central Command
Provenance metadataFields marked “not disclosed” are transparent gaps in the release, not omissions on our end.
- Coordinates
- Not disclosed in this release; Iraqi airspace supporting CENTCOM AOR
- Altitude
- Not specified; ISR platforms typically operate at 25,000-40,000 ft; object altitude not stated
- Sensor detail
- Multi-modal ISR platform with infrared as the featured sensor product; specific airframe not disclosed
- Encounter duration
- Not disclosed in this release
- Witness count
- Not disclosed in this release
- Operational context
- Routine ISR sortie supporting anti-ISIL coalition operations
- Weather / visibility
- Not disclosed in this release
- Chain of custody
- CENTCOM ISR aircrew → Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve → CENTCOM headquarters → AARO → PURSUE Release 01
- Classification
- DECLASSIFIED PER PURSUE, May 8, 2026
Official description
DOW-UAP-PR21: short infrared sensor video paired with mission narrative reports from CENTCOM personnel involved in Operation Inherent Resolve. The 'Baghdad Phantom' designation references a recurring pattern of small unidentified objects observed during ISR sorties in the region during 2022.
Editor's context
Part of a broader cluster of CENTCOM unresolved encounters in Iraqi airspace during 2022. Limited single-sensor data is typical of these ISR-platform sightings; without corroborating radar or multi-platform tracking, identification rarely advances past the initial flag.
In the margins
Transcribed redactions, stamps, and handwritten markings, the paratext of the file. Often the most human part of a declassified document, and worth reading on its own.
- Stampp. DVIDS metadataU.S. CENTRAL COMMAND, DOW-UAP-PR21
- StampOPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE, ISR MISSION FOOTAGE
- AnnotationRecorded during routine intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations supporting the anti-ISIL coalition.
- AnnotationThe 'Baghdad Phantom' designation references a recurring pattern of small unidentified objects observed during ISR sorties in Iraqi airspace during 2022.
Cite the primary source
Citations center the originating government agency and link to the official record. This archive is listed as the access point, not the author.
U.S. Central Command. "Iraq May 2022, Baghdad Phantom." Released via PURSUE program, 2026-05-08. https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1006059. Accessed 2026-08-12 via Social Media for Aliens archive, https://socialmediaforaliens.com/files/iraq-may-2022-baghdad.
Tags
Sources
Reflections
Want to leave a reflection on this file? Join the Circle or sign in.
No reflections yet. Be the first to leave one.
Long-form discussion
Related cases
Iraq Small UAP Encounter
10-second IR sensor footage paired with mission reports describing a small unidentified object observed during ISR operations in Iraq, December 2022.
UAE June 2024, Inverted Teardrop
21-second infrared video of an inverted-teardrop-shaped object with an apparent vertical pole or bar feature, observed off the UAE coast in June 2024.
Greece IR Encounter
2:57 IR video of a white object near the ocean surface making multiple 90-degree turns at approximately 80 mph, captured aboard a US military platform.
Djibouti 2025 Mission Report
Mission report documenting a 2025 unidentified airborne phenomenon observed at or near US military operations in Djibouti.