US President Donald Trump has shared a video on Truth Social that appears to be AI-generated, depicting Iran's Kharg Island being blown up from the point of view of a military aircraft. The post was accompanied by text reading: "Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!"
Island vital to Iran's oil exports
Kharg Island, located about 25 kilometres off the coast of Iran, serves as the primary terminal for roughly 90% of the country's oil exports. The video shows structures on the island being detonated from the perspective of a military aircraft.
US strike on Larak island
The video post came just hours after the US carried out its first attack on Iran in weeks, leaving several people injured and others killed. The strike targeted two Iranian launchers on Iran's Larak island on Sunday, August 30, according to a US official. This marked the first known US strikes on Iran since late July.
Conflict and market impact
The war began after the US and Israel conducted joint strikes on several key Iranian sites on February 28. Iran retaliated by striking US allies in the Middle East and closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which one fifth of global oil passed before the conflict.
Earlier on Sunday, a multinational coalition overseen by the US Navy reported that commercial traffic through the strait remained at "reduced levels." Global oil markets have experienced significant volatility since the war began, and an attack on Kharg Island is expected to further disrupt markets.
