US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that Iran’s strategically significant Kharg Island was under intense assault, although he did not provide any supporting details or evidence. In a brief social media post, Trump wrote that Kharg Island was being “blown to smithereens,” accompanied by a video displaying large explosions.
Neither the White House nor the US Defense Department immediately clarified the president’s statement. Iranian state media and other outlets also did not respond to the claim at the time.
Analysis of the video linked to Trump’s post revealed it was likely created or altered using artificial intelligence. A specialized tool designed to detect synthetic imagery indicated the footage was probably AI-generated rather than authentic.
Kharg Island plays a critical role in Iran’s oil infrastructure. Prior to the conflict that began with US and Israeli attacks on February 28, the island handled approximately 90% of Iran’s oil exports. Any confirmed strike on Kharg could severely disrupt Iran’s energy sector, further straining an economy already burdened by war and international sanctions.
Trump’s statement came amid escalating hostilities between the US and Iran. Recently, US forces targeted two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting retaliatory attacks by Iranian forces on US military sites in the region.
Meanwhile, the US Treasury is preparing additional economic sanctions against Tehran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced plans to impose new secondary sanctions regularly, initially focusing on financial institutions linked to Iran.
Following an earlier US strike on rocket launchers on Larak Island, located about 660 kilometers east of Kharg, Iran responded by attacking two US bases in Jordan. Iranian media reported casualties among soldiers and civilians and vowed further retaliation.
This resurgence of hostilities follows weeks of intensified US efforts to pressure Tehran through stringent economic sanctions rather than direct military action. Bessent emphasized that new secondary sanctions would likely be announced weekly, starting with banks, warning financial institutions against facilitating Iranian funds or supporting the regime.
After penalizing the United Arab Emirates branches of Egypt’s Banque Misr for alleged financial ties to Iran, Bessent indicated that future measures might include completely cutting some institutions off from the US dollar-based financial system.
Regarding the recent military actions, a US official confirmed that US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, a small but strategically important island near Bandar Abbas in the Strait of Hormuz. The island overlooks key shipping lanes and plays a vital role in regional maritime security and global energy supply.
The official noted that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. In retaliation, Iran launched ballistic missiles targeting two US bases in Jordan, where eight missiles were intercepted by Jordanian forces.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the missile strikes caused casualties and promised further “response and punishment.” The US Central Command described its actions as “limited, precise” strikes against Iranian minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz but provided no additional details.
Following the US strikes, Iran targeted US forces in Jordan again, though most incoming missiles were intercepted, minimizing damage. Shipping data showed a decline in visible commodity vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, dropping to five per day over the weekend. Some ships reportedly turned off automatic identification systems to avoid attacks.
Last week, President Trump asserted that all mines had been cleared from international waters in the strait and warned Iran that any new mines would be destroyed. Despite Trump’s claims that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy dismissed these statements as false, maintaining that the waterway is closed to ships without Iranian permission.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical passage, historically carrying nearly 20% of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before being blockaded amid the ongoing conflict. Iran is the third-largest oil producer within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
