Advertisements offering Apple's latest iPhone 18 smartphones at significantly reduced prices have surfaced in Tehran, with sellers describing the gadgets as "war booty." According to reports, these devices were purportedly recovered from a container ship that sank in the vicinity of the strategic Strait of Hormuz on October 13. The origin of these advertisements remains tied to unverified claims circulating in the local market, prompting caution from law enforcement officials.
The reports were bolstered by videos widely shared across social media platforms, which appear to show shipping containers floating in the sea near the vital maritime waterway. Footage, including images circulated by media outlets in the Arab world, depicts individuals on small boats retrieving various items from the water. In one instance, a boat was seen carrying boxes of iPhones, which sellers are now marketing as being salvaged from the wreckage. Expensive perfumes were also reportedly among the items scattered in the water and subsequently collected by those present at the scene.
Despite the proliferation of these videos, there has been no official confirmation regarding the sinking of any vessel or the recovery of cargo. The identities of the individuals seen in the footage retrieving the goods from the sea remain unknown. Consequently, Iran's cyber police have issued a stern warning to prospective buyers. Authorities have advised consumers to exercise extreme caution and avoid paying any deposits or advance fees before they have physically inspected the products and successfully verified the legitimacy of the sellers.
Officials have cautioned that the reports of the shipwreck may be used as a pretext for criminal activity. They warned that unscrupulous actors could exploit the situation to lure unsuspecting customers with attractively low prices for products that may not actually exist or are otherwise unavailable. This development has added a layer of complexity to the already volatile situation in the region, as maritime authorities continue to monitor the area for genuine hazards.
These advertisements have emerged during a period of heightened instability in West Asia. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit route for global oil shipments, has been the site of repeated maritime incidents. Recently, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that an "illegal supertanker" carrying over two million barrels of crude oil was struck by a sea mine, resulting in a severe fire. Simultaneously, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed that two vessels navigating the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia were struck on Friday, though reports indicated that all crew members remained safe.
The broader security climate continues to draw international attention. US President Donald Trump has stated that Washington intends to maintain its blockade of Iranian maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz while ongoing negotiations persist. As diplomatic and security tensions between international powers and regional actors intensify, the arrival of these purportedly salvaged goods serves as a stark reminder of the risks currently facing commercial shipping in the area. Local authorities maintain that until the veracity of the claims surrounding the sunken ship and its cargo is confirmed, the public should refrain from participating in such potentially fraudulent transactions.
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