Posts claiming severe weather turned Iranian sea ‘blood red’ are missing context
The posts have no connection to Israeli-Iranian tensions or Passover
CLAIM
Several posts across social media claim that severe weather caused a beach in Iran to turn blood red and alluded to a biblical plague in the aftermath of an Iranian attack on Israel.
BACKGROUND
Videos were shared on several social media accounts purporting to show a beach in Iran that turned blood red after a bout of severe weather.
One version of the clip was posted by Aviva Klompas, a former director of speechwriting at the Israeli mission to the United Nations. She is a prominent policy advisor in the NGO sector and has worked at organisations aimed at promoting Israeli and Jewish interests in the United States.
A post from her account, which has more than 320,000 followers, read: “A river in Hormuz, Iran turned red like the biblical plague that turned the Nile River to blood. ….In case you were wondering whose side God is on.”
The post was viewed more than 820,000 times on X. It references a biblical plague believed in Judaism to be the first of 10 disasters that God brought to Egypt to liberate the enslaved Israelites, and involves the River Nile turning to blood. The stories of the plagues are recited during the Passover season.
The video had earlier been posted to the platform by an account called “The Persian Jewess”, who describes themselves as an Iranian Jewish refugee and a “staunch warrior against antisemitism and Jew hate”.
Their post accompanying the video read: “Severe weather in Hormuz, Iran turns the water BLOOD red. Just in time for Passover…. #StandWithIsrael.”
That version of the video bears a watermark for an Instagram page with the username “@JexitUSA”. The Instagram account posted the clip on April 16 with the caption: “‼️Severe weather turned the beach red in Hormuz Iran… it’s Passover season…”
The video was also widely shared on YouTube in the last two days, coming amid record rainfall in the Gulf region that led to severe flooding in nearby Dubai.
The posts by pro-Israel accounts also came after Iran launched a major drone and missile attack into Israel last weekend, raising the spectre of a greater regional conflict amid Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.
METHOD
A search for information about Hormuz Island in Iran shows the area boasts a popular attraction known as the Red Beach.
The area is known for its mineral-rich soil, which gives the beach its characteristic red colour.
ITTO, an Iranian tourism NGO, says the phenomenon of the water running red happens due to the proximity of a red oxide-rich hill to the sea. Rainfall can exacerbate the unusual colour of the beach, as run-off from the red hillside flows downhill towards the shore.
The red area seen just off the beach in this satellite image is a hill that is mined for its red soil.
Photos posted by tourists to the Google Maps location show the red sands and water in the area.
From this analysis, we can conclude that the posts claiming the beach and sea had suddenly turned blood red were missing the context that the beach is already famous for its unusual colour.
RATING
Posts claiming the water “turned” blood red are missing the context that the beach has long been well-known for its unusual colour. The posts have no connection to Israeli-Iranian tensions or Passover.
SOURCES
X (formerly Twitter). (2024). Available at: A river in Hormuz, Iran turned red like the biblical plague that turned the Nile River to blood. ….In case you were wondering whose side God is on. [Accessed 18 Apr. 2024].
X (formerly Twitter). (2024). Available at: Severe weather in Hormuz, Iran turns the water BLOOD red. Just in time for Passover…. #StandWithIsrael [Accessed 18 Apr. 2024].
Instagram. (2014). Official #JEXIT Page on Instagram: ‘‼️Severe weather turned the beach red in Hormuz Iran… it’s Passover season…’. [online] [Accessed 18 Apr. 2024].
Sirang Rasaneh, www.sirang.com (2024). Silver and Red Beach of Hormuz 2024 | Hormoz Island, Hormozgan | Sights – ITTO. [online] itto.org | Iran Tourism & Touring. [Accessed 18 Apr. 2024].
Google Maps (2019). Google Maps. [online] Red Beach, Hormoz, Iran. [Accessed 18 Apr. 2024].
It is a shame we do not have a sample of water from Moses' day for comparison. God uses his creation to fulfill his word and will. All God's signs and wonders will always remain a matter of faith. Let whosoever believes, believe; and let whosoever forbears, forbear!