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AI Post, Real Strikes
President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social claiming “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!,” but Reuters reported there was “no other evidence that the Iranian energy hub was under attack.”
“There was no other evidence that the Iranian energy hub was under attack.”
The same period saw the U.S. and Iran trade strikes after American forces attacked two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with the BBC saying the first known U.S. strikes since late July killed two people and injured two others, according to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
US Central Command said it took “limited, precise action” after observing Iran preparing to “launch rockets and deploy sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” while Iran said it struck U.S. military bases in Jordan and Jordan’s army said it intercepted eight missiles early on Monday morning.
The BBC also reported that Iran’s state TV said the Iranian army targeted an air base in the UAE with drones, while the UAE’s Ministry of Defence denied reports that Al-Minhad Air Base had been targeted as “unfounded,” and the UAE did confirm it shot down a drone.
Vance Frames the Message
Vice President Vance told reporters that Trump was sending a message to Iran by posting what appears to be an AI-generated video of Iran’s Kharg Island being blown up, saying, “I think that he’s sending a message to the Iranians.”
Vance linked the post to the broader exchange of fire, saying, “Look, we know that they continue to shoot at commercial shipping,” and he argued the U.S. had tools “to prevent them from doing so, or at least cut down on them.”
The Hill reported that the U.S. and Iran exchanged strikes on Sunday after the U.S. struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, and it described Iran’s early Monday retaliation as targeting U.S. military assets at bases in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
The IRGC said in a statement to Fars News Agency, “Aggression and crimes will not solve the enemy’s desperation in attempting to weaken the Islamic Republic’s control over the Strait of Hormuz,” and it added that “every attack will be met with even more devastating responses.”
Energy, Shipping, and Sanctions
Kharg Island’s role in the conflict is central in the reporting, with Reuters saying it “handled 90% of Iran's oil exports before the war launched by U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28.”
“handled 90% of Iran's oil exports before the war launched by U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28”
Reuters warned that attacking Kharg would “severely disrupt its energy trade and put huge pressure on its economy,” while the BBC described the Strait of Hormuz as carrying about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas before the conflict began.
The BBC reported that Iran is demanding tanker traffic pass by Larak Island for checks and that it has reportedly forced vessels to pay $2m (£1.5m) to cross, and it added that the strait has effectively been closed since the conflict began in February.
In parallel, Reuters said U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters that “We're starting with the banks,” and he said the next step may be cutting off an institution entirely from the dollar-based financial system as the administration seeks to pressure Tehran with secondary sanctions.