Trump posts AI video of Kharg Island being ‘blown to smithereens’

Kharg Island was being “blown to smithereens”, according to US President Donald Trump, who shared a 10-second AI-generated video depicting explosions engulfing the strategic Iranian oil hub.

“Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT,” Trump posted on Truth Social late Sunday (August 30) night.

The post comes hours after US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, triggering an Iranian missile response against US bases in Jordan.

Why Kharg Island matters

Kharg is a small

island in the northern Persian Gulf but is the backbone of Iran’s oil export infrastructure. Roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports were handled through the island before the war, making it one of Tehran’s most important economic assets.

Its deep-water facilities allow large tankers to load Iranian crude, while much of Iran’s other coastline is too shallow for such vessels. The oil then moves through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints that has now become a key point of friction in the West Asia war.