Trump's AI-Generated Claim Sparks Oil Price Surge
Iran has dismissed as 'laughable' a claim by US President Donald Trump that the key Iranian oil export hub of Kharg Island is under attack. In an AI-generated video posted on his Truth Social platform, President Trump said 'Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT'. However, in response to this claim, Iran's National Iranian Oil Company chief executive Hamid Bovard stated that conditions in Kharg are calm and appropriate.
Kharg Island is a small coral island in the northern Persian Gulf and handles around 90% of all oil exports from Iran. Despite President Trump's claims, there was no evidence to suggest that the island had been bombed or damaged in any way. The beginning of this week saw a resurgence of strikes for the first time in several weeks as US forces struck Iran for the first time in over a month.
The US Central Command spokesperson stated that the attack came after the IRGC were observed 'preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz'. As a result, oil prices jumped in early Monday trade in Asia. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed 'response and punishment' in retaliation for the US strikes.