Thomas Copeland
BBC Verify Live journalist

It’s been a busy week for BBC Verify and we’ve covered a range of stories from across the globe, but one story has dominated our work – the build-up of US military assets in the Gulf as the Trump administration piles yet more pressure on the Iranian government.

That story has continued today as we tracked the largest warship ever built - the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford - transiting through the Strait of Gibraltar. Click here to see the pictures we’ve gathered.

As well as naval power we’ve also been monitoring more US military aircraft flying through Europe towards the Middle East. In the past 24 hours alone we tracked almost 50 transport, reconnaissance and refueling jets.

President Donald Trump says the world will find out "over the next, probably, 10 days" whether the US will reach a deal with Iran or take military action.

BBC Verify has staff on shift all weekend to continue following this story and we’ll bring you more on this when we’re back with the live page on Monday.

Yi Ma
BBC Verify

Image source, Getty Images

We’ve been monitoring and reporting on what appears to be a notable increase in US Air Force (USAF) activity in Europe and the Middle East, as Washington continues to put pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.

Sam Wise, an aviation analyst at the intelligence firm Janes, said the number of USAF transport flights picked up by public flight tracking recently is “certainly higher than normal”.

Many of these flights are supporting the movement of other USAF aircraft to the Middle East, while others are likely to be carrying equipment and personnel as part of the US military build-up, he said.

Wise added that daily operations of these aircraft can fluctuate for many reasons and there is no fixed baseline for “normal” activity. However, a typical 24-hour period would almost certainly see fewer flights than those observed this week, he told us.

Wise also pointed out that the visibility of these aircraft on tracking sites may reflect a deliberate choice to show the scale of the movements.

Kayleen Devlin and Yi Ma
BBC Verify

We’ve been looking into how many US Air Force (USAF) flights over Europe and the Middle East during the past 24 hours have been tracked by Flightradar24.

During that period, we counted at least 31 C-17s, seven C-5s - both types of transport jets - and nine KC-135 aerial refuelling tankers. All used “RCH” flight numbers that are associated with the USAF’s Air Mobility Command.

We also compared the number of flights from the past 24 hours with the same date last year. Flightradar24 data suggests just nine aircraft with RCH flight numbers were tracked that day.

We discussed our methodology with Danial Gustafsson from Flightradar24, who said it was reasonable, but noted that flight-tracking data only displays aircraft with transponders switched on.

As he put it: ”If we see them, they want us to see them”.

Tom Edgington
BBC Verify senior journalist

Yesterday, we looked at avalanche data following recent deaths in the Alps and California.

While the numbers fluctuate year to year, the data showed that an average of 100 people are killed by avalanches every year in Europe. In the US, the average number of deaths per year is 27.

Separate data from a 2010 study, external showed that across a 10-year period in the US, 90% of those killed were male and 10% were female.

I asked Dr Nathalie Vriend, an expert in the science of avalanches from the University of Colorado Boulder, if there is a link between the recent avalanches and climate change.

She told us variations in temperature weaken the layers of snow under the surface, and this can increase the potential for avalanches as people ski over the surface.

However, she added that “we just don’t have enough data yet to connect climate change to more avalanches”.

Image source, Getty Images

Thomas Copeland
BBC Verify Live journalist

We’ve been posting today about how BBC Verify has been using flight-tracking websites to monitor US military aircraft moving across Europe towards the Middle East.

But one of the best resources for us at BBC Verify is you. Aviation photographer Finley Neville-Jones contacted us last night with pictures he took at RAF Lakenheath, an air base in the English county of Suffolk that hosts US Air Force units.

The photographs show at least six F-22 Raptor fighter jets. The FF tail code on the aircraft indicates they came from the US Air Force’s 1st Fighter Wing based at Langley in the state of Virginia.

Sam Wise, aviation analyst at intelligence firm Janes previously told us that these advanced jets with stealth capabilities “aren't regularly deployed to the Middle East because they're fewer, high value assets”.

The photographs also show multiple US Air Force F-15s. The LN on their tails mean they belong to the 48th Fighter Wing which is based at RAF Lakenheath.

Sarah Jalali
BBC Monitoring

Image source, X

I've been verifying videos from Iran that show commemorations for people who were killed when the government launched a violent crackdown on protests that took place across the country last month. Iranians typically hold memorial ceremonies 40 days after someone dies.

Two videos I’ve verified were filmed in the city of Ardakan and show a large crowd gathered in front of a building displaying a picture of Mostafa Sarafraz - a student who was killed at a protest.

People can be heard singing before black and white balloons are released into the air prompting cheers from the crowd.

By analysing several videos taken from different angles and matching distinctive features of the buildings in the background with satellite imagery I was able to confirm the location of the commemoration as the Behesht-e Shohada cemetery.

Thomas Copeland
BBC Verify Live journalist

We’ve been reporting this week that a second US aircraft carrier appears to be heading towards the Middle East, as Washington continues to put pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.

The nuclear-powered carrier USS Gerald R Ford is the world's largest warship and the most advanced in the US Navy.

This morning we’ve tracked the US warship USS Mahan, one of the destroyers escorting the Gerald R Ford as part of its carrier strike group, through the Strait of Gibraltar at the western end of the Mediterranean.

We previously reported that the carrier briefly broadcast its location off Morocco's Atlantic coast on Wednesday. In the 48 minutes when its location data was available the vessel appeared to be heading east towards the Mediterranean.

As we just reported in the post below, we have now verified pictures showing the aircraft carrier heading through the Strait of Gibraltar today.

We’ve also used ship-tracking data to confirm that one of the destroyers in the Ford’s carrier strike group, USS Mahan, also passed through.

Graphic by Tom Shiel

Thomas Copeland
BBC Verify Live journalist

BBC Verify has verified pictures taken this morning and shared on X that show the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford heading through the Strait of Gibraltar.

The images - taken from Gibraltar - show the world’s largest warship as it headed east from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean. We’ve also confirmed using ship-tracking that one of the ships in the Ford’s carrier strike group, USS Mahan, passed through the strait.

In this first picture the aircraft carrier is seen with the mountains of Morocco in the distance. We used ship-tracking to confirm the other two other ships in the photo were also in that location at the time.

Image source, David Parody

Other pictures show the carrier with part of its air wing on the flight deck.

Image source, David Parody

BBC Verify also spoke to the photographer, David Parody, who said the photos were taken today.

Rob Corp
BBC Verify Live editor

We’re keen to hear what you think the BBC Verify team should be looking into.

We're interested in investigating claims you may've seen online in your social feeds. We're also keen to know if you've think an image may have been made using artificial intelligence to spread disinformation.

You can also get in touch with BBC Verify if you've got a question about how we verify video posted online or work with satellite imagery.

You can send your suggestions to the team here.

Thomas Copeland
BBC Verify Live journalist

We’re using publicly available flight-tracking tools like Flightradar24 to check the latest US military aircraft movements as Washington continues to build-up its forces in the Middle East. President Donald Trump has urged Iran to agree a deal over its nuclear programme and warned that otherwise “bad things happen”.

This is a screenshot from Flightradar24 showing six US military aircraft heading into and out of the Middle East at around 10:00 GMT on Friday.

Image source, Flightradar24

As well as the air force flights I have also seen two US Navy P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance jets over the Mediterranean - one heading west towards Gibraltar and the other off the coast of Crete.

We’ve been tracking the build up for days now and will use what we’ve found to get a better idea about the scale of the US military deployment.

Rob Corp
BBC Verify Live editor

Good morning.

We’re keeping across popular flight-tracking sites like Flightradar24 to help us build a picture of what military aircraft the US is deploying to the Middle East. President Donald Trump has said the world will find out "over the next, probably, 10 days" whether the US will reach a deal with Iran or take military action.

This morning alone we’ve seen six US Air Force transport aircraft flying into and out of the region. Previously we’ve tracked aerial refuelling tankers flying from the UK to the eastern Mediterranean region, along with surveillance and communication aircraft.

We’re also keeping an eye on ship-tracking to see where the US aircraft carrier Gerald R Ford is. It has been deployed from the Caribbean and last broadcast its position off Morocco on Wednesday. It’s expected to continue east into the Mediterranean.

Elsewhere, the Iranian government says one of its fighter jets has crashed during military exercises in the west of Iran. We’re looking to see whether footage or pictures have been posted online that can be verified.

More on those stories to come this Friday.