As President Donald Trump returned from the G7 summit on Monday, several social media users cited photos to claim that three ships were on fire in the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz. Authorities are yet to confirm these claims. Hindustan Times cannot verify the authenticity of the photos at the moment.
We checked NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) Map to find three red blots in the Gulf of Oman. However, we couldn’t verify if the ships were on fire.
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British maritime security firm Ambrey said it was aware of an incident 22 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates, near the Strait of Hormuz.
Posting photos on social media one person wrote: “Photos are currently circulating which appear to show three ships on fire off the coast of Iran in the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz. NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) Map appearing to confirm three fires in the Gulf of Oman.”
“According to NASA FIRMS, there are three heat signatures coming from vessels in the Gulf of Oman, entering the Straight of Hormuz,” another one added on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Where is the Gulf of Oman and why is it important?
The Gulf of Oman, located between Oman, Iran, Pakistan, and the UAE, connects the Arabian Sea to the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz. It’s critical in the Israel-Iran conflict as 20% of global oil flows through this chokepoint. Iran’s threats to close the Strait could disrupt oil markets, impacting Israel and global economies, escalating tensions.
This comes as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News that President Trump was still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran even as hostilities have escalated between Tehran and Tel Aviv.
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“Of course,” Hegseth said after he was asked whether Trump was still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran.
“We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal. And we certainly hope that’s what happens here,” he added.
In a social media post on Monday, Trump said “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran,” citing what he said was the country’s rejection of a deal to curb nuclear weapons development.
