Iran's Kharg Island under attack? Trump shares AI video after attack on Larak Island

US President Donald Trump has shared an AI video on his platform, Truth Social, claiming that Iran’s Kharg Island is “being blown to smithereens.” Trump provided no evidence of his claim. Neither did he provide any context to his statement. There has not been any statement by US Defence Forces or Iranian government or media on the same. However, Trump's claim comes as US forces attacked Iran’s Larak Island in the weekend. In retaliation, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked US bases and facilities in Jordan and United Arab Emirates (UAE). In the video, US missiles are seen attacking the Kharg Island as explosion destroys the key installations.

Where is Kharg Island?

Kharg Island is a small coral and rocky island, that falls under Iran's Bushehr Province. It is situated in the northern part of the Persian Gulf and functions as the country’s main oil export hub. Often referred to as Iran’s “crown jewel,” Kharg Island ships out roughly 90–95 per cent of the nation’s crude oil. The oil terminal here has the capacity to load around 7 million barrels per day and can service up to ten supertankers at once. The revenue generated from oil exported through Kharg Island is estimated at around $78 billion each year, making it a crucial financial pillar for the Iranian state. The island hosts facilities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including missile storage areas, naval mine depots, and air defence installations. Kharg is also the heart of Iran’s oil industry. If exports from the island were seriously disrupted, Iran would lose access to the route that handles almost all of its crude exports.

Trump and his threats on Kharg Island

In March, Trump had warned several times that US will hit Kharg Island to paralyse Iran's oil economy. He amde contradictory statements, once claiming that United States may carry out more strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub “just for fun” and sometimes claiming that the US strikes had “totally demolished” most of Kharg Island. US forces conducted a large-scale precision strike on Iran's Kharg Island on the night of March 13. Iran has threatened to reduce US-linked oil facilities in the region to a "pile of ashes." After the strike on Kharg Island, Trump said that the US had “totally obliterated every military target” on the island.

(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)