Vance says Trump’s dramatic Kharg Island post was intended as a signal to Iran

JD Vance said Donald Trump’s stark social media claim that Iran’s Kharg Island was being “blown to smithereens” was intended to send a message, not announce a military operation.

Trump posted the one-line message on Sunday with an AI-generated video clip. A US official said American forces had not targeted Kharg Island during overnight strikes. An Iranian official dismissed the post as “laughable.”

“The president likes to switch it up on social media a little bit. He would be the first to say he doesn't make announcements about military actions on social media, but I think that he's sending a message to the Iranians,” Vance said.

Kharg Island handled about 90% of Iran’s oil exports before the war began with US and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28. Any attack there could disrupt Iran’s energy trade and add pressure to its economy.

The United States recently struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, in its first known military strikes since late July, according to a US official. Iran later launched missiles at US sites in Jordan, though the missiles were intercepted. The developments have revived concerns about the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global energy supplies.

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The president likes to switch it up on social media a little bit. He would be the first to say he doesn't make announcements about military actions on social media, but I think that he's sending a message to the Iranians.