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U.S. President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video depicting Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub being destroyed, adding to tensions after Washington and Tehran exchanged attacks for the first time since July.
“Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday alongside the dramatic clip. It remained unclear whether the post was intended as a threat or suggested an actual U.S. strike. Several hours later, there was no evidence that Kharg Island had been attacked.
Reuters determined the footage was most likely synthetically generated using software designed to detect AI-manipulated imagery. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately comment.
Kharg Island is strategically important because it handled about 90% of Iran’s oil exports before the war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28. Any strike on the facility could severely disrupt Iranian oil exports and intensify pressure on Tehran’s economy.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran did not seek war but would respond forcefully to aggression.
The development followed renewed fighting after U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington said Revolutionary Guard forces had been preparing rockets carrying sea mines that posed an imminent threat to shipping.
Iran subsequently targeted U.S. bases in Jordan and said it launched drones against the UAE’s Al Minhad air base, where American forces were stationed. Jordan said it intercepted eight missiles entering its airspace.
Iranian state media also reported that a supertanker caught fire after being hit by two naval mines in the southern Strait of Hormuz, further raising concerns about global energy supplies. The strategic waterway carried nearly one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the six-month Iran war disrupted traffic.
Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington plans to announce additional secondary sanctions against Iran, potentially on a weekly basis, initially targeting banks linked to Iranian funds.
Oil prices climbed amid the renewed geopolitical risks, with WTI crude trading above $85 a barrel as markets assessed the possibility of further disruptions to Iranian exports and Strait of Hormuz shipping.
