US President Donald Trump has posted two AI-generated clips on his Truth Social account, presenting them as visuals of recent American military action against Iran. One of the videos purportedly shows an attack on Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil centre that Trump has repeatedly threatened to capture or destroy since the conflict began.
The AI-created footage depicts enormous blasts engulfing an oil storage facility and an oil tanker, while an aircraft can be seen flying above the area.
"Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT," read a post.
The videos were uploaded several hours after US forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, a small landmass in the Strait of Hormuz. The operation was Washington's first known military strike against Iran since late July. The US said the action was intended to stop Tehran from deploying additional sea mines in the strategic waterway, shortly after American forces said they had finished removing mines from the passage.
"US forces took limited, precise action against IRGC (Iran's Revolutionary Guards') minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz," the US Central Command wrote on X.
There have been no confirmed reports of a US attack on Kharg Island matching the events shown in Trump's video. Analysts have suggested that the footage could instead be intended as a warning or an attempt to exert psychological pressure on Tehran. Trump has previously shared AI-generated material on social media, including content that has exaggerated real events or portrayed scenarios that did not actually occur.
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had launched a retaliatory missile attack against two US military installations in Jordan, which is allied with Washington. Iranian state media said the strikes caused "heavy damage".
Jordan's military said it had shot down eight missiles but did not identify their source.
Iran later claimed that it had also attacked US military personnel stationed at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
Why Kharg Island Matters To Iran
Kharg Island is strategically important to Iran's economy and energy sector. Before the war began on February 28, the island was responsible for handling roughly 90 per cent of the country's oil exports. Iran's ability to ship crude has reportedly since been significantly affected by a US naval blockade.
According to American officials cited by Axios, tanker traffic around Kharg has fallen considerably in recent days. At the same time, oil shipments from other countries are reportedly continuing through the region using a different route along Oman's coastline.
Situated around 26 kilometres off Iran's northern Gulf coast, Kharg Island is approximately 483 kilometres northwest of the Strait of Hormuz. Its surrounding waters are sufficiently deep to accommodate large oil tankers that cannot easily reach Iran's mainland ports because of the shallower coastal waters.
A direct strike on Kharg could therefore have major consequences for Iran's energy exports and economy. Disrupting the island's operations would place additional financial pressure on Tehran, particularly as Iran remains the third-largest oil producer within the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
