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Iranian state television claimed this week that a foreign container ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz after ignoring a route designated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
But shipping data and experts indicate the vessel is linked to Iran and has been stranded there for months.
The ship has been identified as the Arista, a container vessel believed to be sailing under a false Comoros flag. It was previously known as the Gauja, a Panama-flagged ship sanctioned by the US Treasury last year as part of an alleged Iranian oil-smuggling network. State TV said the vessel ignored the IRGC Navy's designated "Route of Authority," using the incident to reinforce Tehran's claim of control over the strategic waterway.
However, maritime tracking firm TankerTrackers.com and footage from an Armenian news outlet matched the grounded vessel to the Arista.
Marine tracking data shows it has been stuck in Iran's territorial waters since mid-March. AP