RismadarVoice Reporters, September 1, 2026
US President Donald Trump has shared an AI-generated video depicting an attack on Iran’s Kharg Island, a major oil export hub, despite there being no evidence that the United States carried out strikes on the island.
Trump posted the video on social media with the caption: “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!”
Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf, handles about 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports and has previously been threatened by Trump amid tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The post came shortly after the United States launched strikes against Iranian military positions on Larak Island, another Iranian outpost in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command said the strikes were carried out after Iranian forces were observed preparing missile launchers to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the strategic waterway.
The attack on Larak Island marked the first direct US strikes on Iranian positions in more than a month.
However, there was no indication that Kharg Island had been attacked.
Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company, dismissed Trump’s claim, describing the post as “laughable” and saying conditions on Kharg Island remained calm.
The latest exchange of hostilities followed renewed fighting between the United States and Iran after a period of relative calm.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the US attack on Larak Island killed several soldiers and civilians and warned that the strike would receive a response.
Following the US strikes, Tehran claimed it had attacked Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, where US forces and helicopters are stationed.
Iran also claimed to have targeted American military bases in Jordan, saying the attacks caused “heavy damage” to US facilities.
The UAE, however, denied that its air base had sustained damage, saying its forces had intercepted a drone over its territory.
The IRGC is believed to use Larak Island as part of its efforts to exert control over shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
US Navy spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said American forces had targeted two Iranian launchers on Larak Island after observing IRGC personnel preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the strait.
The renewed fighting has raised concerns that the region could once again descend into sustained conflict following months of hostilities between Washington and Tehran.
The latest strikes came amid growing concerns within the US military over the continued conflict with Iran.
US military chiefs have reportedly warned Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that prolonging the war could weaken Washington’s ability to respond to other security threats around the world.
According to reports, senior Army, Navy and Air Force leaders privately assessed that the conflict had continued for “too much for too long”.
Trump, however, has continued to maintain that all options remain open, including a possible return to full-scale military operations, as Washington seeks to increase pressure on Tehran.
Meanwhile, Iran claimed that a supertanker attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz near the Omani coast had struck naval mines and caught fire.
The IRGC alleged that the vessel was attempting to pass through the waterway illegally but did not identify the tanker or provide details about its crew.
The dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz has also affected commercial shipping, with Iran demanding that vessels travel closer to its coastline, while the United States has sought to secure a route along the Omani side of the strait.
Iran has also claimed to have reached an agreement with Oman on a joint shipping corridor through the waterway.
Washington suspects that Iran may be using Larak Island to deploy mines into waters on the Omani side of the strait in an attempt to disrupt the southern shipping route.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the US strike on Larak Island, describing it as “American military aggression” and saying Iranian forces had responded in accordance with their right to legitimate defence.
