Trump posts AI video saying Kharg Island is being ‘blown to smithereens’

Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video showing the US military blowing up an Iranian oil hub “to smithereens”. Mr Trump shared a video depicting a missile attack on Kharg Island , the hub in the Gulf that handles about 90 per cent of the country’s oil exports. The video was accompanied by a caption by Mr Trump saying: “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!” Earlier, US Central Command said US forces had launched pre-emptive strikes on missile launchers based on another island after Iranians had been seen preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines. On Sunday, the US targeted Iranian military installations on Larak Island, a different Iranian outpost in the Strait of Hormuz , the first attacks in over a month . The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed the attack on Larak Island – which is positioned close to the mouth of the strait – had killed several soldiers and civilians and vowed it would be met with “response and punishment”. The fresh strikes could signal a return to open conflict in a region that has been scarred by six months of war . There is no evidence that Washington attacked Kharg Island. Hamid Bovard, the chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company, dismissed Mr Trump’s post as “laughable” on Monday. “Trump’s tweets are laughable and conditions in Kharg are calm and appropriate,” he said. Mr Trump made the post after renewed fighting broke out between the US and Iran. In retaliation, Tehran claimed to have struck the Al Minhad Air Base, where the US stations forces and helicopters in the United Arab Emirates. Iran also claimed to have attacked American bases in Jordan, claiming that the strikes had inflicted “heavy damage” on US facilities. The UAE denied that any damage had been done to the air base, saying it had intercepted one drone on its territory. The IRGC is believed to be using Larak Island to exert control over the vital shipping route. Capt Tim Hawkins, of the US navy, told AFP: “Earlier today, US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz .” Iran war has been ‘too much for too long’ The strikes mark the first exchange of fire between the two sides since late July. On Sunday, it was reported that US military chiefs had advised Pete Hegseth that extending the war with Iran is unsustainable. In a classified warning to the US defence secretary, the leaders of the US army, navy and air force said that prolonging the conflict was critically weakening Washington’s ability to confront threats elsewhere, including at home. Mr Trump has repeatedly said that all options remain open, including returning to full-scale conflict , in an effort to increase pressure on Iran. Yet, six months into the conflict, the consensus of senior military leaders was that it had been “too much for too long”, The Washington Post reported, citing sources familiar with the recent assessment. On Monday, Iran also claimed that a supertanker attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz near the Omani coast had struck naval mines and caught fire. The IRGC said the tanker had been trying to pass through the waterway illegally, but did not identify the vessel or provide details about its crew. In the tug of war for control of the strait, Iran has been demanding that commercial shipping travel close to its coastline, while the US has tried to secure a route that hugs the coast of Oman. Last week, Tehran claimed to have agreed on a joint corridor through the strait with Oman . Washington suspects that Iran is using Larak Island to launch mines into waters on the Omani side of the strait in an attempt to block the southern route. Iran’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemned the American military aggression on Larak”, adding that its forces had responded, “in accordance with the inherent right of legitimate defence”.