"21 AUG [CALLSIGN] Observes UAP in Persian Gulf"
A four-minute-plus infrared video from a U.S. military platform over the Persian Gulf captures roughly 40 seconds of an unidentified area of contrast moving across the sensor's field of view before fading into video grain. The footage was uploaded to a classified network in August 2020 — close to real-time with the incident — though AARO flags that its chain-of-custody can't be fully verified. What's here is sparse but genuine: a sensor operator apparently tracking something worth following, preserved in an official context.
On March 6, 2026, eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives requested access to 51 potentially UAP-related records allegedly held by the Department of War and the Intelligence Community. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) identified a collection of responsive materials held on a classified network. Many of these materials lack a substantiated chain-of-custody.
AARO assesses that this video, whose uploader-defined title is, “21 AUG 2020 [CALLSIGN] Observes UAP in Persian Gulf,” is likely derived from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform operating within the United States Central Command area of responsibility in 2020. A user uploaded this video to a classified network in August 2020.
Video Duration: 00:04:48 Video Description: 00:00-03:07: No content. 03:08-03:10: The sensor zooms out. An area of contrast transits from the top of the screen to the bottom, exiting the frame. 03:11-03:48: The sensor zooms out and back in. The sensor pans to track the area of contrast. 03:49-04:48: The area of contrast becomes indistinguishable from the grain of the video and the sensor zooms out.
This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.