A photo circulating online has sparked wild rumors, with some claiming it shows a French nuclear attack submarine surfacing at Halifax, Nova Scotia, after President Donald Trump seemingly threatened to annex Canada.

However, the photo’s authenticity has been called into question, with several users pointing out that it appears to be old. The photo is circulating on platforms such as Reddit, here.

French Submarine Halifax

One Reddit user pointed out (here) discrepancies after conducting a reverse image search. The user found that the same image appeared with older dates, suggesting the photo was not a recent one. When the image was traced back to its original source, it was no longer available, further raising doubts about its credibility.

French Sub Halifax

Another Reddit user added that the photo in question was actually from a 2017 news article, making it clear that the submarine’s appearance in Halifax was not tied to any recent geopolitical threats.

French Submarine Canada

Despite the clear evidence pointing to the image being old, the photograph is still circulating on social media platforms and has been featured in Google searches related to the supposed annexation threat. This highlights how misinformation can easily spread online, especially when fueled by sensational claims and misleading images.

It’s important to critically evaluate information shared on platforms like Reddit and Google, especially when it involves political claims or images that seem out of context. In this case, the submarine photo is seemingly unrelated to any current geopolitical situation, and the rumors surrounding it appear to be based on false assumptions and disinformation. As a result, there is no concrete evidence to support claims that this photo is recent.

EDITOR UPDATE: It has been brought to HOLR’s attention that The French Navy FSA Tourville is at Shearwater until 21 March, prepping for their Arctic deployment.

The older photos discussed in the above editorial are of an American nuclear submarine which visited Halifax in 2017.

The new photos that people had been unable to reverse search on Reddit had reportedly been taken from Twitter and elsewhere from local ship spotters who documented the arrival on Monday, 10 March.