In recent days, a video has been rapidly going viral on social media claiming that Iran launched a missile attack on the US warship USS Abraham Lincoln. Several pro-Iran accounts shared the video, saying the attack took place in the Arabian Sea and caused heavy casualties to the U.S. Navy. But when the claim was investigated, the truth turned out to be quite different.
In fact, the viral video is not of a missile attack but old footage of an oil tanker collision near the Strait of Hormuz in June At that time, there was a collision between two ships, which showed fire and smoke rising in the sea. Now the same old video is being edited to spread the claim that it is an attack on a US aircraft carrier.
The United States Central Command, or CENTCOM, the US military’s Middle East command, has dismissed the claim as completely fake. He made it clear that the USS Abraham Lincoln was completely safe and working on its mission. CENTCOM also recently released new images of the ship, showing the carrier and accompanying warships conducting normal operations.
This aircraft carrier is one of America’s largest warships. It is accompanied by many destroyer ships and more than 5,000 troops. The carrier is currently operating in the Arabian Sea region during Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military operation in the Middle-East.
There have been several previous claims from Iranian officials that they have targeted U.S. ships. But so far, no concrete evidence has emerged for these claims. U.S. officials say such claims are just to spread propaganda, in order to create confusion on social media.
In todayโs digital era, itโs very easy to take any video or photo out of context and make it viral. Therefore, it is important that people must check the truth of such news before sharing it. The claim of an attack on the USS Abraham Lincoln is a similar example of using old video to create a false story.
One thing is clear from this incident โ not every sensational story you see on social media is true. Sometimes it’s just an information war, with the real weapon not being missiles but misinformation.
