The Black Manta? UFO-like object over Iran fuels US spy jet mystery

Amid renewed fighting between the US and Iran, a mysterious object with bright, multi-coloured lights was seen hovering over Tehran this week. It looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. The sighting has now revived speculation about a highly secretive US aircraft, allegedly called the TR-3B 'Black Manta'. While the US has never acknowledged it, there have been previous sightings of a large, dark triangular object moving quietly at low altitudes - similar to what was seen over Iran.

The mysterious object was first spotted gliding through the sky near the Azadegan Expressway in Tehran on September 20. The visuals show a large, crescent-shaped aircraft with multi-coloured lights. On September 21, another video emerged showing a strange cluster of lights moving across the skies in Iran's Zahedan.DRONE OR MYSTERIOUS 'BLACK MANTA'?

The sudden appearance of the mysterious objects has sparked a wave of theories. Some suggested it was an illuminated kite. But not all were convinced, considering the huge size of the object.

Others suggested that it could be a mystery drone or even an extraterrestrial object. So far, the Iranian military or government has remained tight-lipped on the sightings.

A section of experts have revived an even more intriguing theory - the enigmatic 'Black Manta' aircraft. However, there is no public evidence to confirm the existence of such a jet. Its existence is purely speculative. Despite this, the 'Black Manta' legend refuses to die.

What has given fresh momentum to the 'Black Manta' theory is Donald Trump's recent claim that the US has "weapons that nobody has ever seen before" and that are known "only to a select few". The US President made the remarks while threatening to "wipe out" Iran.

Against this backdrop, the mysterious sightings over Iran have once again brought the alleged 'Black Manta' into focus. Screenshot of unidentified plane onboard US carrier released by Iran's Tasnim Agecny in 2021 WHAT IS THE TR-3B 'BLACK MANTA'?

Over the decades, witnesses have described it as a black, triangle-shaped UFO with a bright central light that hovers and departs with unnerving suddenness. There have been odd satellite silhouettes that match the dimensions of the 'Black Manta ', but there has been no definitive proof of its existence.

The world got a glimpse of it in 2021, when Iranian media shared an image of a triangle-shaped object on board a US aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea. A report by the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency speculated that it could actually be the top-secret TR-3 'Black Manta'.

Conspiracy theorists believe the supersonic stealth spy jet flies using anti-gravity technology. While having no gravity is impossible, its effects can be reduced or countered in various ways.

According to a report in Medium, one theory suggests that the jet uses nuclear energy to create high-pressure plasma, which creates an anti-gravity field around it.

The 'Black Manta' is also speculated to have special thrust systems that allow it to quickly change speed, direction and position. Moreover, plasma produced through nuclear reactions can reduce an aircraft's radar signature.

This is believed to make the aircraft harder to detect, making it capable of flying long distances.

While there have been independent investigations into the mysterious sightings, the most detailed one was conducted by the National Institute of Discovery Science (NIDS). The Las Vegas-based research group conducted an extensive investigation into sightings of black, triangle-like objects.

Before it was disbanded in 2004, the NIDS collected more than 150 reports from the US, Canada and Europe.

It concluded that the object appeared to be an "extremely silent" aircraft and could quickly accelerate from a hovering position using powerful nuclear-based technology. It suggested that the primary function of the 'Black Manta' was intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

However, these claims have never been independently confirmed. The mysterious 'Black Manta' may remain part of aviation folklore.

But if we look at history, there have been instances of US aircraft flying in secrecy for years before being acknowledged by Washington. The most popular being the F-117 Nighthawk, whose distinctive triangular outline generated much intrigue in the late 1980s.

The Nighthawk, believed to be the world's first operational stealth aircraft, was spotted several times since 1983, but was not publicly acknowledged until 1988.THE 1976 UFO SIGHTING OVER IRAN

The latest videos have also brought back memories of a popular UFO sighting over Tehran in 1976. On September 19, 1976, Iranian authorities reported seeing a bright object in the sky. While Iran sent F-4 fighter jets to probe the sighting, the identity of the object was never established.

Several years later, a pilot of one of the F-4s recounted that the object appeared to launch multiple glowing orbs that allegedly circled his plane. The 1976 incident also found its way into US government records. However, the details are sketchy.

For now, the latest sightings over Iran remain unexplained. There is no evidence that the object was the alleged 'Black Manta', or even that such an aircraft exists. But history has shown that some of America's most secretive aircraft have remained hidden from public view for years. The 'Black Manta', for now, remains an aircraft of mystery.- EndsPublished By: Abhishek DePublished On: Sep 22, 2026 15:21 IST