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| - FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Falsely Claims Iran Hit US Ship Off The Coast Of Bahrain
A post shared on Facebook claims a U.S. ship, believed to be the USS Liberty, was purportedly hit by Iranian missiles off the coast of Bahrain.
Verdict: False
The claim is false. The USS Liberty is a ship that was bombed by Israel in 1967, according to an official intelligence memorandum available via the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Historian.
Fact Check:
The U.S. has blocked 13 ships who have purportedly facilitated illicit trade in support of Iran, according to the Jerusalem Post. In addition, one of the vessels will be added to the “Specially Designated National and Blocked Persons” list, the outlet reported.
“US ship has been hit by Iranian missiles off the coast of Bahrain- (believed to be the USS Liberty),” the Facebook post purports. The post, which has received over 100 likes, does not provide a source to support its claim.
The claim is false, however. The USS Liberty is a ship that was bombed by Israel in 1967, according to an official intelligence memorandum available via the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Historian. The same memorandum states the attack occurred when the ship was struck off the Sinai Peninsula on Jun. 8, 1967.
“The Liberty reported at 9:50 a.m. (2:50 a.m. Washington time) on 8 June that it had been orbited by two delta-wing jet fighters, presumably Israeli Mirages. At 3:05 p.m. (8:05 a.m.) the Liberty was strafed by [an] unidentified jet aircraft. The Liberty apparently was not able to establish communications with other units of the US Sixth Fleet during the air attack, and the first information available to the US commanders was after the subsequent attack by unidentified torpedo boats, which occurred at 3:25 p.m,” the memorandum reads in part.
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. Lead Stories also labeled the claim as false via an April 4 article. Additionally, the claim is neither referenced via the U.S. Central Command’s website nor its verified social media accounts. The Department of Defense (DOD) has not publicly commented on the claim, either. (RELATED: No, JAG Did Not Arrest Colorado Supreme Court Justice Melissa Hart)
Check Your Fact has contacted the U.S. Central Command for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received. Check Your Fact also contacted the Pentagon, who deferred to Navy Public Affairs, who then deferred to the Navy Chief of Information Office.
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