A widely circulated video claiming to show the Iranian Navy destroying a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz has been debunked as old footage of a US Navy operation.
The clip, which has been shared extensively on social media since mid-July, depicts the destruction of an Iranian Soleimani-class corvette in the Persian Gulf, not a recent escalation involving Iranian forces targeting commercial shipping.
The clarification comes as markets remain sensitive to any perceived escalation in the region.
While the video itself is not evidence of new hostilities, the rapid spread of such misinformation can exacerbate risk sentiment among traders and shipping operators.
Investors are increasingly wary of how digital disinformation can trigger short-term volatility in energy and freight markets, even when the underlying facts do not support a change in the security environment.
The debunking coincides with broader concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, where tanker traffic has been eroding due to ongoing geopolitical tensions.