US President Donald Trump has shared AI-generated videos on his Truth Social platform claiming to show recent American military strikes on Iran, including an alleged attack on Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil hub.
One of the videos shows huge explosions involving an oil storage facility and an oil tanker, with an aircraft visible above the scene.
"Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT," read Trump's post.
US strikes Iranian positions
Trump's posts came hours after the US military carried out air strikes on Iranian rocket launchers on Larak, a small island in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes were the first American attacks on Iran since late July.
Washington said the operation was aimed at stopping Iran from laying more sea mines in the strategic waterway, days after the US announced that it had completed clearing explosives from the strait.
"US forces took limited, precise action against IRGC (Iran's Revolutionary Guards') minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz," the US Central Command wrote on X.
However, there has been no report of a US strike on Kharg Island matching the footage shared by Trump. The videos were generated using artificial intelligence.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have meanwhile claimed retaliation against two US military air bases in Jordan, saying the attacks caused "heavy damage". Jordan's army said it intercepted eight missiles without identifying their origin. Tehran later said it had targeted US military personnel at Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE.
Why Kharg Island matters
Kharg Island is crucial to Iran's oil industry. Before the war began on February 28, it handled about 90 per cent of the country's oil exports.
The island is located 26 kilometres off Iran's coast and has deep enough waters for large oil tankers that cannot easily reach Iran's shallow mainland ports.
Any attack on the facility could therefore severely disrupt Iran's energy exports and put further pressure on its economy. Iran is the third-largest oil producer in OPEC.