Claim: An image shows a Greek-flagged cargo ship attacked by Houthi rebels on 22 August.
Fact: The image shows an attack by Houthi rebels on Chios Lion, the Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker, that was carried out in July 2024.
On 24 August, X (formerly Twitter) user @aforizmrus posted a picture (archive) apparently showing a Greek-flagged cargo ship in the aftermath of an explosion. The post, when translated from Turkish, claimed, “Yemeni Armed Forces hit a Greek-flagged cargo ship carrying explosives from India to Israel.”
It is important to note that the Houthis attacked a Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounian on 22 August. The ship was anchored in the Red Sea, while its crew were rescued by a French destroyer. A video by The Associated Press shows the plumes of smoke rising from the anchored ship. However, the image in the claim is unrelated to this incident.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched the image and found that it shows a different ship that was attacked a month earlier by the Houthi militia in the Red Sea.
According to Middle East Eye’s article, the image in the claim shows Chios Lion. This Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker was attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea in July 2024.
In July 2024, Marine Insight also published a similar image in an article, headlined “Oil Tanker [Chios Lion] Hit By Houthi-launched Drone In Red Sea Assesses Potential Oil Spill.” Arab Weekly’s report on the attack carried the same image.
Frames from Daily Mail’s video, which showed the moment of the explosion on the same ship, match the image in the claim, and confirm that it shows the attack on the Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker that took place in July 2024.
Virality
The X post garnered nearly 66,000 views and was liked 5,900 times.
The image also appeared on X here.
It also appeared on Threads here.
Hum News also carried the misleading image here.
Conclusion: The image does not show the attack on the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounian that took place on 22 August. It shows the Chios Lion, the Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker, that was attacked by the Houthis in July 2024.
Background image in cover photo: edubaba
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