US president shares synthetic footage of explosions at critical oil hub; no evidence of actual attack reported.
US President Donald Trump has posted an AI-generated video on his Truth Social platform depicting Iran’s strategic Kharg Island being destroyed in a series of explosions, captioning it as the oil hub “being blown to smithereens.”
The short clip, shared late on Sunday, shows dramatic blasts involving what appear to be oil storage facilities and a tanker, viewed from the perspective of an aircraft. Trump wrote: “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT.”
Reuters and other outlets reported that the footage was most likely synthetically generated, based on analysis using software designed to detect AI-manipulated imagery.
Strategic importance of Kharg Island:
Kharg Island, located in the northern Persian Gulf about 25 kilometres off Iran’s coast, has long served as the backbone of the country’s oil export infrastructure. Prior to the current conflict, which began with US and Israeli strikes in late February, the island handled roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports. Its deep-water facilities enable large tankers to load Iranian oil for shipment through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Any confirmed strike on the facility would significantly disrupt Iran’s energy trade and place severe pressure on its economy, while also risking wider volatility in global oil markets.
Trump Post Fuels Tensions With Iran:
The post came hours after the United States conducted its first known strikes on Iranian territory in roughly a month. US forces targeted Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island that were allegedly preparing to deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles toward a US base in Jordan.
The broader conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has involved repeated rounds of military action, economic sanctions and threats since February. Trump has previously shared AI-generated images threatening Iranian energy infrastructure, including earlier depictions of attacks on Kharg.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Tehran is not seeking war but would respond decisively to any aggression. There was no immediate official reaction from Iranian media or government spokespeople to Trump’s latest post.
The use of AI-generated imagery by political leaders has raised broader questions about the potential for misinformation in an already tense geopolitical environment. Analysts note that such posts can heighten uncertainty even when no corresponding military action occurs. As of Monday, oil markets and regional shipping continued under heightened monitoring amid the ongoing conflict.