Trump Shares A.I.-Generated Video of Iranian Oil Terminal

On Sunday, former President Donald Trump shared a short A.I.-generated clip depicting the destruction of Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal, claiming it was “blown to smithereens.” This post followed the first U.S. airstrikes against Iran in about a month, though none of the actual strikes were confirmed to have targeted Kharg Island.

Hamid Bovard, the CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company, responded on Monday, labeling Trump’s tweet as “laughable” and stating that “conditions in Kharg are calm and appropriate.”

Bovard further asserted that the oil facility on Kharg Island is still operational, with workers busy repairing previous damage and modernizing the equipment. Notably, around 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports typically flow through this terminal.

Meanwhile, U.S. warplanes conducted strikes on Iranian positions that were allegedly preparing to deploy additional mines into the Strait of Hormuz. This came after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) recently disclosed that most of the mines Iran had previously laid had been disarmed and cleared.

The airstrikes targeted two missile launchers on Larak Island, situated off the coast of Bandar Abbas, very far from Kharg Island. Larak Island is known to house military assets of interest in this ongoing conflict.

“Earlier today, U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island,” CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins reported, mentioning that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was observed preparing for additional attacks involving sea mines.

In the wake of this, CENTCOM had just finished clearing mines from shipping routes in the Strait and is actively monitoring the area to ensure safe navigation for commercial vessels.

These recent strikes on Larak Island marked the first acknowledged U.S. military actions in Iran since the end of July, when there was a flurry of attacks on Iranian coastal weapon sites controlled by the IRGC.

Trump had called for a pause in airstrikes on August 1, apparently at the behest of allies like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who wished to explore diplomatic options with Iran.

In response to the Larak Island airstrikes, the IRGC launched drones and missiles at U.S. installations in Jordan and the UAE. Fortunately, most of these Iranian projectiles were intercepted, and no damage was reported as of Monday morning.

Iran characterized its missile attacks as “necessary and lawful” retaliation for the airstrikes, a position that CENTCOM quickly dismissed.

“U.S. forces carried out limited and precise action against IRGC forces that posed an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM remarked, emphasizing that the military’s objective was to protect commercial shipping and global trade.

There were also claims from Iran about an oil tanker striking one of its mines and catching fire, which CENTCOM denied as untrue.

“No ships have hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz. This is just another attempt by the IRGC to intimidate regional shipping through disinformation,” they said.

Reports from Iranian state media indicated explosions near Larak Island, with claims of casualties among Iranian fighters, which the IRGC described as a “fatal mistake” on the part of the U.S.

Previously, Trump has threatened to seize or destroy Kharg Island, potentially crippling Iran’s oil industry. While Iran does have an alternative terminal at Jask on the Gulf of Oman, it lacks the necessary infrastructure to replace Kharg Island’s capacity.

On June 11, Trump expressed in a post that at some point, “we will be taking Kharg Island,” suggesting a future control over oil and gas markets similar to U.S. dealings with Venezuela.

The U.S. naval blockade against Iran, which had been temporarily paused, was reinstated mid-July, leading to a roughly 70 percent reduction in Iranian oil shipments over the past month. Currently, Iran has about 20 million barrels of oil in transit and can store a similar amount onshore.

Despite Iran’s assertions about closing the Strait of Hormuz to other nations, tracking services indicate that approximately 6 million barrels per day continue to flow through the strait under U.S. Navy protection, a figure that is gradually increasing from the pre-conflict levels of around 15 million barrels per day.