Trump says Iran's Kharg is being 'blown to smithereens', but gives no details

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that Iran's energy hub of Kharg Island was being "blown to smithereens" in a brief social media post, accompanied by an AI-generated video clip. However, there was no concrete evidence of an attack on the Iranian energy facility. The White House and the U.S. Defense Department did not provide any comments outside regular business hours.

Trump's statement on Iranian media went unresponded to. Reuters later verified that the accompanying video clip, depicting explosive explosions, was likely artificially generated using technology capable of detecting AI-manipulated imagery. Kharg Island, which previously handled 90 percent of Iran's oil exports prior to the war launched by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, would have a significant impact on its energy trade and overall economy if targeted.

In response to a previous U.S. attack on rocket launchers on Iran's Larak Island, located around 660 kilometers (410 miles) east of Kharg, Iran issued no further details.