Trump Says Iran’s Kharg Island Is Being ‘Blown to Smithereens’ Without Giving Details

Donald Trump declared that Iran’s Kharg Island was being “blown to smithereens,” but offered no explanation beyond a one-line social media post and a dramatic video clip.

There was no other evidence that the Iranian energy hub had come under attack. The White House and the U.S. Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Iranian media had not reacted to Trump’s post. Reuters determined that the accompanying footage was most likely synthetically generated.

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Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT

Kharg is a major pressure point for Iran’s economy. Before the war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28, the island handled 90% of Iran’s oil exports. Any attack on the facility would severely disrupt the country’s energy trade and increase pressure on its economy.

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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

The statement followed the first known U.S. military strikes in weeks. A U.S. official said American forces attacked two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, roughly 660 kilometers east of Kharg in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces had been seen preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the strategic waterway, the official said.

Iran responded by firing ballistic missiles toward two U.S. bases in Jordan. Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted eight missiles that entered its airspace. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would likely announce new secondary sanctions every week, beginning with banks that hold Iranian money or assist the government.

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You’re going to see a lot more of these every week