A viral video circulating on social media falsely claims to show drone footage of an attack by Yemen’s Huthi rebels on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The clip, which has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, includes elements that match video game footage posted on YouTube.
The video, shared with a caption in simplified Chinese, appears to show missiles striking an aircraft carrier, purportedly the USS Eisenhower. However, Washington has denied any damage to its ships by the Huthis in the Red Sea.
The Huthis had previously claimed a missile attack on the USS Eisenhower, but Washington has not confirmed this. The group, backed by Iran and controlling much of Yemen, has carried out numerous attacks on vessels in the region.
The video in question bears similarities to a video game demo posted on YouTube in 2016. The creator of the original video confirmed that the falsely shared clip used his work, complete with a watermark and game-like reload prompt.
This incident is not the first time videos falsely depicting attacks on US ships have circulated online. AFP has previously debunked similar claims.