Mohan Sinha
02 Sep 2026

DUBAI, U.A.E: Calling it laughable, an Iranian official rejected the claim of U.S. President Donald Trump, who shared an AI-generated video that claimed Iran's major oil terminal on Kharg Island had been destroyed by huge explosions.

The exchange came only hours after the United States and Iran resumed military hostilities for the first time since July.

Several hours after Trump posted the video, there was no independent evidence that Kharg Island had been attacked. The White House and the US Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside normal business hours.

Hamid Bovard, chief executive of Iran's state-run National Iranian Oil Company, said Trump's claim was false and that the situation on Kharg Island remained normal.

"Trump's tweets are laughable, and conditions in Kharg are calm and appropriate," Bovard said.

He added that oil production and other operations on the island had continued. Workers were reportedly repairing damage from earlier attacks while also carrying out modernization work at the facilities, according to Nournews, a semi-official Iranian news outlet linked to the country's top security body.

Trump had posted the claim on his Truth Social platform on August 30, writing that Kharg Island had been "blown to smithereens" and signing the message as "President DJT". He did not provide any further explanation or evidence.

Reuters examined the video accompanying Trump's post and found that it was most likely created using artificial intelligence.

Kharg Island is one of Iran's most important energy facilities. Before the war began with US and Israeli attacks on February 28, the island handled about 90 percent of Iran's oil exports. Any major attack on the facility could seriously disrupt Iran's oil shipments, affect global energy trade, and place further pressure on the country's economy.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran did not want a war but would respond strongly if it came under attack. Iranian state media quoted him as saying that the country would not stay silent in the face of aggression.

The latest escalation followed an earlier U.S. strike on rocket launchers on Iran's Larak Island, located about 410 miles east of Kharg. Iranian media reported that Iran responded by attacking two US bases in Jordan.

Iran's military also said it had carried out a drone attack early on August 31 on the Al Minhad air base in the United Arab Emirates. Still, the UAE's Defense Ministry rejected the report as false.

The latest fighting marked a return to direct hostilities after several weeks of relative calm. During that period, the Trump administration had increasingly relied on economic pressure against Iran, imposing sanctions on Tehran and companies and individuals linked to its economy while moving away from further immediate military action.