Archive · 31 Aug 2026
Trump Shares AI Video Claiming Kharg Island Was Destroyed
Donald Trump shared a computer-made video showing explosions at Kharg Island in Iran.
He wrote that the island was being “blown to smithereens.”
The video has not been confirmed as real footage of a new attack.
It appeared after US forces struck rocket launchers on Iran’s Larak Island.
The United States said the strikes were meant to stop Iranian forces from placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran said it responded by attacking US-linked military locations in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Jordan said its defenses intercepted eight missiles but did not identify their source.
Kharg Island is important because it handles most of Iran’s oil exports.
Reports also disagree about whether the United States previously struck Kharg Island in March.
Donald Trump posted a 10-second AI-generated video on Truth Social showing explosions at Iran’s Kharg Island.
Trump captioned the video, “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!” without providing evidence or context.
The post followed US strikes on two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States said the Larak operation targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces preparing to lay sea mines.
Iran claimed missile attacks on US-linked facilities in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, while Jordan said it intercepted eight missiles.
- Who
- US President Donald Trump, US forces, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian authorities, and Jordanian authorities.
- What
- Trump shared AI-generated footage depicting an alleged attack on Kharg Island after US strikes on Larak Island.
- When
- Trump posted the video late Sunday, August 30, hours after the Larak strikes; some reporting also refers to a March 13 Kharg-related strike.
- Where
- Kharg Island and Larak Island in Iran; reported Iranian retaliation involved US-linked facilities in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
- Why
- The United States said the Larak strikes targeted Iranian forces preparing to lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Kharg is also a major Iranian oil-export hub.
Trump and US Claims
Available Verification and Iranian Claims
Whether Kharg Island was attacked
Trump and US Claims
Trump’s post portrayed Kharg Island as being destroyed, and one report said he had previously claimed that US strikes had obliterated military targets there.
Available Verification and Iranian Claims
Multiple reports said there was no official confirmation that the video showed a new attack on Kharg Island. Another report described a March 13 US strike and Trump’s earlier claim that military targets there had been destroyed.
Purpose of the Larak strikes
Trump and US Claims
The United States described the operation as limited and precise action against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces preparing to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Available Verification and Iranian Claims
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards condemned the strikes as a grave strategic error and threatened retaliation against US-linked military targets.
Meaning of the AI video
Trump and US Claims
Trump used the video and its caption to present Kharg Island as under attack and reinforce pressure on Tehran.
Available Verification and Iranian Claims
Analysts and reports suggested the AI-generated footage could be intimidation or psychological pressure rather than verified combat footage.
- Platform
- Truth Social
- Video
- A 10-second AI-generated sequence showing explosions involving an oil storage tank and an oil tanker at Kharg Island.
- Kharg’s oil role
- Reports say Kharg handled about 90% of Iran’s crude exports before the war; another report gives a range of 90–95%.
- Kharg location
- The island is about 26 kilometres off Iran’s northern Gulf coast and roughly 483 kilometres northwest of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Terminal capacity
- One report says Kharg’s terminal can load around 7 million barrels per day and service up to ten supertankers.
- US strikes
- US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island.
- US justification
- US Central Command said the strikes targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Reported retaliation
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed attacks on US-linked bases and personnel in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates; Jordan said it intercepted eight missiles.
Sources
US President Donald Trump Posts AI-Generated Video Showing Kharg Island 'Blown To Smithereens' Amid Iran War
Trump posts AI video of Kharg Island being ‘blown to smithereens’
'Kharg Island Being Blown To Smithereens': Trump's New AI Video Attack
Trump Shares AI Video Depicting Iran's Kharg Island 'Being Blown to Smithereens!!!'
