Iran Calls Trump's Kharg Island Attack Video 'Laughable' as Tensions Resume

Iran has dismissed a social media post by US President Donald Trump showing an AI-generated video of its key oil terminal at Kharg Island being destroyed, calling the clip "laughable" and confirming that operations at the facility remain normal.

Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-run National Iranian Oil Company, said conditions at Kharg were "calm and appropriate" and that workers were busy repairing previous damage and modernising facilities. His comments came hours after Trump posted the video on his Truth Social platform with the caption, "Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!"

The White House and the US Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. There was no evidence that Kharg had actually been attacked.

The exchange marks a return to hostilities between the two nations for the first time since July. US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on the island of Larak, about 660 km east of Kharg, after observing Revolutionary Guard forces preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command described the action as "limited, precise" and aimed at an "imminent threat."

In response, Iranian media reported attacks on two US bases in Jordan and a drone strike on the UAE's Al Minhad air base, though the UAE defence ministry dismissed the latter as false. Iran also said it shot down a US drone over Gulf waters.

Meanwhile, Iran's state television reported that a supertanker caught fire and was brought to a halt after being struck by two naval mines in the southern Strait of Hormuz. The Revolutionary Guards said the vessel had been attempting to pass through the waterway illegally.

On the economic front, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said new secondary sanctions on Iran would likely be unveiled weekly, starting with banks. "We're starting with the banks, and we're telling the banks it's not okay to have Iranian money and to aid the regime," he said in an interview.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country was not seeking war but would respond decisively to any aggression. Kharg Island handled 90% of Iran's oil exports before the conflict began, and any disruption there would severely impact global energy trade.