Claim: A video claims that Iran’s state-owned news agency reported that the country had hit a ship in the vicinity of the United Arab Emirates.
Fact: This claim is false. The video is from a fire on a cargo ship in 2024.
On 4 May 2026, X user Open Source User Intel posted a 21-seconds video, with the following caption:
“IRAN STATE TV ‘FARS’ CLAIMS: “Image attributed to one of the ships that was struck in the vicinity of the UAE.”
The video depicts an overhead shot of a ship ablaze in the middle of the ocean.
Iran-UAE Conflict
As the Iran-US war has progressed, the United Arab Emirates is one of the Gulf states that have been directly affected amidst these confrontations. As the Iranians launched missiles towards Gulf states, including the UAE. Initially, these missile attacks were seen in places like the US consulate and Dubai International Airport, as the fallout only kept increasing between the countries, the United Arab Emirates was not the only Gulf state that was attacked by the Iranians.
The escalation has reportedly been driven by Iran’s efforts to strengthen regional alliances amid the ongoing conflict. However, tensions sharply increased after several Middle Eastern countries allowed the United States to maintain and operate military bases on their territory, which Iran viewed as direct support for American military operations.Reports indicate that this became a key trigger for Iran’s missile and drone attacks targeting US-linked military assets and strategic infrastructure across the Gulf region.
Another consequence the Iranians brought in is blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which started the war of the Gulf Waters. The Strait is a chokepoint for about 20 percent of global oil and liquified natural gas exports, but is the only way the Gulf has to the open ocean in order to sell and deliver the petroleum to the rest of the world.
Hence, the recent missile attack on the port of Fujairah on the empty ADNOC ship, makes a statement as Fujairah is the only route the United Arab Emirates has left to get their petroleum out to the world.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check addressed the first part of the claim, and checked the official page of the Iranian state-owned Fars News. There was no news of Iran taking responsibility for the missile attack on 4 May 2026.
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched the keyframe of the cargo ship ablaze in the middle of the ocean. The search turned up credible reports and found the video posted by the verified Indian Coast Guard page, as well as by Indian media channels, all dating the fire back to July 2024. These reports stated the vessel was named “MV Maersk Frankfurt” and that this took place 12 kilometers south of Karwar while sailing from India’s Gujarat state to Colombo in Sri Lanka.
An official report of the missile attack on the ADNOC oil tanker solely relies on footage seen from afar with no verification of what the oil tanker looks like. Hence, a comparison of the two vessels here will verify if it actually is the “MV Maersk Frankfurt” from July 2024.
This was done by a comparison of the vessel’s name from the viral video posted to a picture provided by the Indian Coast Guard. A snapshot of the vessel from the video is seen below with its name:
Screenshot is from video shared in X post
The picture below from the Indian Coast Guard zoomed in from July 2024 with name “Maersk” on it, from the front view, validates the claim as false:
Image from Martime News
The final evidence needed to show that this video is not from the UAE, will be that The Indian Coast Guard posted a press release as well :
Screenshot from Indian Guard’s official page
As the official press release states the location and date, and confirms the name of the vessel coinciding with the rest of our evidence, it can be confirmed that the video is not.
Virality
Soch Fact Check found the claim circulating here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here on Facebook.
On Youtube, it was here.
On X, it is seen here, here, here, here, here and here.
Soch Fact Check also found the claim circulating here and here on Instagram.
Conclusion: The video has not been reported by FARS nor is it from the recent missile attack in the UAE.
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Background image in cover photo: https://x.com/IndiaCoastGuard/status/2053105411075809293/photo/1
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