Viral video shows cargo ship near the UAE engulfed in flames after attack by Iran

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a Google reverse image search and a keyword search to trace the original source.

Multiple accounts, including Iranian media, have been sharing a video since May 4, 2026, on several social media platforms showing a cargo ship engulfed in flames, claiming that it was attacked by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). However, the video is old and unrelated to current geopolitical developments.

On May 4, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it was targeted by Iranian strikes, including one on its vital Fujairah energy hub that wounded three Indians. Fujairah lies beyond the Strait of Hormuz, making it one of the few export routes for Middle East oil that does not require passing through it.

On the other hand, Iran’s state television network said military officials had confirmed they attacked the UAE in response to the “US military’s adventurism”.

The attacks shattered a period of relative calm in the ​UAE since a Pakistani-mediated ceasefire between Washington and Tehran took effect on April 8, pausing more ‌than ⁠a month of intense fighting in the Gulf region.

HOW IT STARTED

On May 4, 2026, Iranian media outlet Fars News shared a video on its official Telegram account showing a cargo ship engulfed in flames without specifying which country the vessel belonged to.

The post was captioned: “Image attributed to one of the ships that was hit near the UAE.”

The post gained 17,000 likes.

Another social media account shared the same video in a similar context on X 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 post attracted 116,000 views.

Another user also shared the same video on X in a similar context with the following caption: “The ship in the footage: HMM Namu, a South Korean cargo vessel operated by HMM shipping, Engine room fire broke out while anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near the UAE. 24 crew on board. 6 South Koreans, 18 other nationals, no casualties reported. Cause officially under investigation.”

The post garnered 215,000 views.

The video and claim were further shared by several users on Instagram and X, as can be seen here, here, here, here, and here; collectively accumulating 135,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in recent strikes on the UAE.

A keyword search was conducted to corroborate whether any credible international media outlets had reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck a cargo ship near the UAE; however, no such reports were found.

A reverse image search conducted to trace the origin of the viral clip yielded an X post shared by India Today on July 19, 2024.

It featured the same clip with the caption: “A major fire broke out on a container merchant cargo vessel about 102 nautical miles south-west of Goa on Friday. The vessel was on passage from Mundra to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Upon receiving the information about the fire, the Indian Coast Guard immediately diverted an ICG ship to proceed to attend to the distress call and reach the vessel as soon as possible.”

Further searches also yielded the same viral clip shared by The Times of India on the same day on X, confirming that the incident was related to a fire aboard a cargo vessel off the Goa coast, with firefighting operations conducted by the Indian Coast Guard.

Additionally, a keyword search yielded multiple news reports from Indian media outlets, including The Times of India, NDTV, The Hindu, and The Indian Express, all of which reported on the same July 2024 maritime fire incident and included visuals matching the viral clip.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows a cargo ship struck by the IRGC in the vicinity of the UAE is false.

The footage is old and shows a fire incident on a cargo vessel off the coast of Goa, India, in July 2024, and is unrelated to recent events.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES

July 19, 2024, India Today X post:
https://x.com/IndiaToday/status/1814363879457337832

July 19, 2024, The Times of India X post:
https://x.com/timesofindia/status/1814352708473856175

July 19, 2024, The Times of India news report:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/watch-massive-fire-erupts-on-cargo-ship-off-goa-coast/amp_articleshow/111869795.cms

July 20, 2024, The Hindu news report:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/goa/fire-breaks-out-on-cargo-ship-off-goa-coast/article68423976.ece/amp/

July 21, 2024, NDTV news report:
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/fire-on-merchant-navy-ship-off-goa-coast-under-control-crew-member-dead-6153307/amp/1

July 20, 2024, Indian Express news report:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/fire-breaks-out-on-cargo-ship-off-goa-coast-guard-launches-rescue-operation-9464436/lite/