Iran denies attack on Kharg Island after Trump AI post showing its destruction

US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that Iran's Kharg Island had been "blown to smithereens," without offering specifics, as tensions between the two nations surged following the initial confirmed U.S. attacks on Iran in weeks. Kharg Island, a crucial Iranian energy facility that processed around 90% of the country's oil exports prior to the conflict, began on February 28.

Any substantial damage to the island could potentially disrupt Iran's oil trade and exacerbate its economic strain. Trump announced the news via social media.

The White House and U.S. Defense Department have not yet commented on the matter. An accompanying video purporting to show explosive explosions was confirmed to have been artificially generated. Earlier, U.S. strikes targeted two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. According to U.S. Central Command, the operation aimed to take "limited, precise" action against Iranian Revolutionary Guard minelaying forces threatening an imminent danger in the strategic waterway. No further details were provided.

In response, Iran launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. bases in Jordan, according to Iranian media reports. Jordanian forces reported intercepting eight missiles that entered their airspace. A Fox News correspondent, reporting on a U.S. source, indicated that almost all incoming missiles had been intercepted thus far, implying limited immediate impact.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack resulted in casualties among soldiers and civilians, vowing a "response and punishment" from Tehran, as reported by Iranian state media.

The escalation has also sparked renewed concerns regarding shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies. According to shipping data, the number of visible commodity vessels crossing the waterway dwindled to approximately five per day over the weekend, though the true figure may be higher due to certain vessels disabling their automatic identification systems to evade potential attacks.

Trump had previously stated that all mines in the international waters of the strait had been detonated or removed and warned Iran that any vessel deploying new mines would be destroyed. While Trump maintains that the waterway remains open, Iran's Revolutionary Guards' navy has dismissed this claim as an "obvious lie," asserting that the strait remains closed to ships without Iranian authorization.

The Strait of Hormuz accounted for nearly one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the six-month-old Iran war began. Iran ranks third among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' producers.