President Donald Trump claimed on social media that Iran’s key energy hub, Kharg Island, was being “blown to smithereens,” but provided no evidence to support the statement. Trump posted the brief message alongside an AI-generated video clip depicting dramatic explosions, which appeared to be synthetically created, according to software designed to detect manipulated imagery.
There was no independent evidence that Kharg Island was under attack. The White House and U.S. Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kharg Island is a crucial part of Iran’s oil industry and handled around 90% of the country’s oil exports before the war began following U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28. Any major assault on the island could severely disrupt Iran’s energy exports and put further pressure on its economy.
Iran had earlier responded to a U.S. strike on rocket launchers on Larak Island by attacking two U.S. bases in Jordan, Iranian media reported.
