False Claim About Pakistani Oil Tanker Getting Attacked by Iran at Hormuz Strait

We did not find any evidence that the visual in the video was a Pakistani oil tanker.

Fact-Check: The ship in the viral clip does not show a Pakistani oil tanker. 

(Source: The Quint) 

A video showing a large vessel at sea, up in flames is being shared on social media to claim that a Pakistani oil tanker was attacked by Iran at the Strait of Hormuz.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X/Screenshot) 

(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)

Is the claim true?: No, the claim is false as this video shows Safeen-Prestige, a container ship sailing under the flag of Malta.

• Additionally, while the ship did sink on 4 March in the Strait of Hormuz, the cause of the incident remains unclear and has not been linked to Iran.

What we found: At first, we divided the viral clip into multiple screenshots and ran a Google reverse image search on some of them. However, we did not find any credible reports to match the validity of the claim.

• We, then, looked for reports to check if any Pakistani oil tanker had been attacked by Iran. However, a report by Reuters from 16 March noted that a Pakistani tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Here is a preview of the report. 

(Source: Reuters) 

• We, then, closely examined the video and noticed that the vessel's name was slightly visible which read, "Safeen."

Here is the close-up of the visual. 

(Source: Altered by The Quint) 

• Team WebQoof, then, ran a relevant keyword search and found Maritime Traffic's update about Safeen-Prestige, a container ship sailing under Malta's flag, which was last located in the Oman Gulf.

• This information was updated 27 days ago.

Here is a preview of the information. 

(Source: Maritime Traffic) 

• We looked for the information about such incidents at the Strait of Hormuz by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

• As per its list, on 4 March, Safeen Prestige located 2 nautical miles of Oman sank in the ocean, however, no injuries were reported.

Here is a preview of the post.

(Source: IMO/Screenshot) 

• In our research, we also found an article by the Human Rights Watch which noted Iran's attacks on civilian ships at the Strait of Hormuz.

• It reported on the Skylight and Safeen Prestige using photographs, videos shared online, and statements from government and military entities, while a third vessel, the MKD Vyom, was documented based on statements alone. In all three cases, Human Rights Watch said it could not confirm who was responsible for the attacks.

Here is a preview of the report. 

(Source: HRW)

Team WebQoof was unable to establish the original source of the viral video.

Conclusion: The viral clip does not show a Pakistani oil tanker attacked by Iran.

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