UNCLASSIFIED // PUBLIC RELEASERELEASE 02 · MAY 22, 2026
PENTAGON UFO FILE · VIDEO · DOW-UAP-PR098UFOs in formation over Persian Gulf?
At 17 minutes and 36 seconds this is by far the longest of the infrared videos AARO recovered from a classified network for the House members who asked about specific UAP records in March 2026. Its title, “UFOs in formation over Persian Gulf?”, was written by whoever uploaded it in October 2019, question mark included. The file gives no date for the recording itself. AARO places it with an infrared sensor on a U.S. military platform in Central Command’s area, and parts are redacted.
A long, patient track
The camera picks up one patch within seconds and keeps it centered. Zoomed in, the patch resolves into several distinct ones. The uploader’s title speaks of a formation; AARO itself only says “multiple distinct areas.” After the patches briefly leave the frame at the two-minute mark, the operator zooms in and out repeatedly.
From about four minutes on the target gets harder to separate from the background. For nearly seven minutes, between 6:30 and 13:17, it is at times lost in the grain of the video, and the operator keeps adjusting contrast to compensate. In the final minute it repeatedly leaves and re-enters the frame before the sensor pulls back.
How to read it
“Grain” here is the speckled noise every sensor produces when it is pushed to high magnification or low contrast. AARO’s description is observational only and makes no finding. The word “UFOs” and the idea of a formation come from the uploader. For a shorter clip from the same set showing several patches in a line, see DOW-UAP-PR096.
The official description
From war.gov/UFO, released May 22, 2026, quoted in full
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, “UFOs in formation over 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. A user uploaded this video to a classified network in October 2019.
Video Duration: 00:17:36 Video Description: 00:00-00:02: No Content. 00:02-00:21: An area of contrast becomes visible. The sensor pans to track the area of contrast within the center of the field-of-view. 00:22-01:59: The sensor zooms in on the area of contrast. At a higher level of magnification, the area appears as multiple distinct areas of contrast. 02:00-02:02: The areas of contrast briefly leave the field-of-view. 02:03-04:00: The sensor zooms in and out multiple times to track the area of contrast. 04:01-04:26: The area of contrast becomes less distinguishable against the background. The sensor zooms in further. 04:27-06:29: The sensor progressively zooms in on the area of contrast. 06:30-13:17: The area of contrast is at times indistinguishable from the grain of the video. The sensor makes several contrast adjustments to compensate. 13:18-16:22: The sensor zooms in and out several times. 16:23-17:23: The area of contrast repeatedly exits and enters the frame. 17:24-17:27: The sensor zooms out to track the area of contrast. 17:27-17:36: No content.
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.