PRNigeria Fact-Check: No Evidence Italian Dockworkers Blocked Saudi Arms Ship Allegedly Bound for Israel
A viral post claiming that Italian dockworkers blocked a Saudi vessel transporting arms to Israel has been found to be misleading, according to an investigation by PRNigeria’s fact-check team.
The post, widely circulated on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and other websites, included an image of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with the caption: “Italian dockworkers block passage of Saudi ship carrying arms for ‘Israel’.” The narrative alleged that Italian port workers forced shipping companies to return three containers of military cargo meant for Israel, celebrating the action as part of wider European labour protests against Israel’s war on Gaza.
The post, which first appeared on X on August 10, 2025, quickly went viral, amassing over 1.1 million views, 25,000 likes, and 6,500 shares.
However, PRNigeria’s checks revealed no evidence to support the claim. Using ship-tracking tools such as MyShipTracker and VesselFinder, investigators traced the voyage of the Saudi carrier (IMO/MMSI 9626534/403532001). Records showed that the vessel was in Genoa, Italy, on August 9, 2025, before sailing towards Alexandria, Egypt, where it was due to arrive on August 13. By August 16, the ship was already berthed at Port Said Ach., Egypt, with no indication of disruption in Italy.
Further checks on the official website of Bahri, the Saudi National Shipping Company, showed no reference to any incident. In a formal statement, Bahri dismissed the viral reports as “completely false and baseless,” stressing that it has never transported goods or shipments to Israel “in any form.” The company reaffirmed its compliance with Saudi policies on the Palestinian cause and with international maritime laws, warning it may pursue legal action against those spreading false claims.
The Saudi Embassy in Abuja also confirmed the denial. Its Press Attaché, Mohammed Al-Sahabi, told PRNigeria that the reports were fabricated and urged the public to disregard them.
Based on verified shipping data and official statements, PRNigeria concluded that the claim was misleading, as the Saudi vessel’s route showed Egypt, not Israel, as its destination.
Verdict: Misleading.
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