On February 28, conflict sharply escalated in the Middle East after recent US–Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, triggering waves of Iranian missile and drone retaliation.
It has since expanded across the region, involving Hezbollah and parts of the Gulf. In Israel, cities like Tel Aviv and southern areas face repeated attacks, forcing civilians into shelters, disrupting flights, and damaging infrastructure. Casualties continue to rise, and there is little clarity on a possible ceasefire.
In the above context, a video is being widely shared on social media in which an oil refinery is seen on fire.
The video is shared with a caption suggesting that an Israeli oil refinery is on fire after being struck by an Iranian missile, following the conflict in early 2026.
A social media user shared the video with a caption, “BREAKING NEWS: On one side, Trump’s appeal for peace; on the other, Iran’s devastating response. Iran has fired missiles at the oil depot and refineries located in the central part of Israel. A scene of destruction and a deepening war. Is the situation now spiralling out of control?”
SouthCheck found that the claim is misleading. The viral video is from 2025 and shows fire at Sharjah’s Al Hamriyah port.
On a Google reverse image search, we found that the same video was shared on the X handle of Aljasranews on May 31, 2025. The video is shared with a caption that reads, “Terrifying scene of thick smoke columns rising due to a fire that broke out at Al Hamriyah Port in #Sharjah. Emergency teams in the sisterly #UAE continue their efforts to extinguish it without recording any injuries.| #AlJisra_AlIkhbariya - #Qatar”
Another X account of a Qatar-based news organisation had also shared the same video on its X account on June 1, 2025. The video is shared with a caption that reads, “A massive fire broke out early today at Al Hamriya Port in Sharjah, engulfing flammable materials and triggering an extensive emergency response from the #UAE Civil Defence, the Sharjah Police, and the National Guard, according to local media reports.”
The caption also has a link to the news report.
According to the report, a massive fire broke out at Al Hamriya Port in Sharjah on May 31, 2025, involving highly flammable and petrochemical materials. Emergency teams, including civil defence, police, and the National Guard, launched a coordinated response and brought the blaze under control within 24 hours. No casualties were reported, and investigations into the cause are ongoing.
The incident was also reported by Emirares News Agency-WAM on June 1, 2025.
According to the report, Sharjah authorities confirmed that the Hamriyah Port fire, caused by ignited petrochemical materials, was fully contained within 24 hours of breaking out. Emergency teams mounted a swift, coordinated response, preventing the blaze from spreading to nearby facilities. Cooling operations are ongoing, while forensic teams have begun investigating the cause and assessing damage.
Hence, we can ascertain that the viral claim is misleading.
