A mock US aircraft carrier built in Iran for a movie about an Iranian passenger plane downing sparked media frenzy in the US and Israel. Media outlets claimed the ship was meant to be blown up for “black propaganda” and labeled it a “symbol of mistrust.”

Satellite images of what looked like a US Navy ship docked at a dockyard near the coast of Iran were obtained by The New York Times and CNN last week, puzzling media and military experts.

The latter concluded that the ship was not an actual aircraft carrier, but was “made to look like one,” US Navy Fifth Fleet spokesman Jason Salata said, as quoted by Reuters.

The New York Times stated that the Nimitz-class carrier-shaped ship looked “more like a barge” with no nuclear propulsion system and was “only about two-thirds the length of a typical 1,100-foot-long Navy carrier.”

Salata actually pointed out that the replica was “more akin to a Hollywood set than a warship” but could not immediately comment with certainty on the purpose of its construction, admitting it was “a little bit of a head-scratcher.”

That, however, did not stop US media from drawing quick conclusions.

[Source]