Trump Posts AI-Generated Video of Kharg Island Destruction Amid Escalating Tensions with Iran

US President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video on Sunday showing Iran's oil hub Kharg Island being destroyed. The post was made hours after the two countries traded attacks for the first time since July.

The White House and US Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours, but Reuters confirmed that the accompanying video clip was likely synthetically-generated using software that detects AI-manipulated imagery.

Iran's oil exports were severely disrupted by a war launched by US and Israeli attacks on February 28, with Kharg Island handling around 90% of exports before the conflict. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country would respond decisively to any aggression, but it was unclear if he was speaking before or after Trump's post.

The US had previously attacked rocket launchers on Larak island, and Iran responded with an assault on two US bases in Jordan. The Revolutionary Guards also shot down a US drone that crashed in Gulf waters, while a supertanker caught fire and was brought to a halt after being struck by naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.