An Iranian official on Monday dismissed as “laughable” a post by US President Donald Trump featuring an AI-generated video that Trump claimed showed Iran's key oil hub, Kharg Island, being “blown to smithereens,” as reported by Reuters.
However, there was no evidence in the hours following Trump's post that Kharg Island had been attacked.
The post came shortly after the United States and Iran resumed hostilities for the first time since late July, further reducing hopes of an early resolution to the conflict, which has now entered its sixth month. The renewed tensions also pushed oil prices nearly 2% higher on Monday.
ALSO READ: US-Iran War: Trump Shares AI Video Showing Iran's Kharg Island 'Blown To Smithereens'
US forces on Sunday struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, located around 660 km (410 miles) east of Kharg, according to a US official. Iranian media reported that Tehran retaliated by attacking two US bases in Jordan.
"Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT," Trump had said on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, with no further details.
Reuters also reported that the video accompanying Trump's post was most likely synthetically generated. An AI-image detection tool indicated that the dramatic footage of explosions had been digitally manipulated.
"Trump's tweets are laughable, and conditions in Kharg are calm and appropriate," Hamid Bovard, chief executive of government-run National Iranian Oil Co, said on Monday, according to the same reuters report.
An Iranian official said oil operations on Kharg Island had not been disrupted. Workers were reportedly continuing to repair damage from previous attacks and modernise facilities, according to comments cited by Nournews, a semi-official outlet close to Iran's top security body.
Iran Vows To Respond To Any Attack
Kharg Island has played a crucial role in Iran's oil industry, handling around 90% of the country's oil exports before the war began with US and Israeli attacks on February 28.
Any attack on the island could severely disrupt Iran's energy exports and place further pressure on its economy.
"We will never remain silent in the face of any aggression...," state media quoted him as saying on Monday ahead of a visit to Kyrgyzstan.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was not seeking war but would respond decisively to any aggression against the country. It remained unclear whether his comments were made before or after Trump's post about Kharg Island.
ALSO READ: Iran Attacks US Bases In Jordan In Response To Strikes On Larak Island
Larak Island, meanwhile, is a smaller island located in the Strait of Hormuz near the strategic Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.
The waterway normally accounts for around one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, but has effectively been blocked since the beginning of the war.
The latest escalation between the US and Iran has therefore raised fresh concerns over regional stability and the potential impact on global energy supplies.
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