Iran has rubbished Donald Trump’s threats against one of its key islands after the US president threatened to hit the Islamic Republic “hard” following Iranian missile strikes on US military bases.
Hamid Bovard, the chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company, said operations on Kharg Island, a vital trade hub holding some 90 per cent of Iranian oil exports, had not stopped, after Trump posted an AI video on social media claiming it was “being blown to smithereens”.
“Trump’s tweets are laughable and conditions in Kharg are calm and appropriate,” he said in response to the Truth Social post.
A US official also told Reuters that the US did not target Kharg Island in overnight strikes.
The latest escalation in tensions came as both sides exchanged fire for the first time in a month, with Iran attacking US bases in Jordan and the UAE in response to US attacks on Larak island.
Offering Washington a route to climb down, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would immediately reciprocate if the US honours its commitments under an interim deal signed in June to pave the way for peace talks.
Read MoreTrump’s fake AI video of Kharg Island ‘attack’ leaves US military scrambling to explain
Iran’s Achilles Heel: Why Trump has his sights on the tiny oil hub Kharg Island
Trump’s Army Secretary resigns after reportedly clashing with Hegseth
Trump threatens further action as US and Iran exchange strikes for first time in weeks
Key Points
- Trump threatens to hit Iran ‘hard’
- Trump threatens further action as US and Iran exchange strikes for first time in weeks - watch
- Trump calls Iran conflict 'relatively little war'
- Iranian state media releases footage of missiles being launched at US targets
- Trump’s army secretary resigns after reportedly clashing with Hegseth
Iran’s Achilles Heel: Why Trump has his sights on the tiny oil hub Kharg Island
08:55 , James ReynoldsSix months into the war with Iran, US president Donald Trump has posted a fake AI video to social media, claiming that a key Iranian island was being destroyed.
The claim that Kharg Island was “blow to smithereens”, accompanied by a clip of refineries exploding into flames on Truth Social, was quickly debunked by his own officials.
The US has struck Kharg before, however, with Vice President JD Vance confirming in April “military targets” on the outlet had been hit.
Here’s why Kharg Island matters to Iran’s economy and, by extension, to the United States military:
Iran’s Achilles Heel: Why Trump has his sights on the tiny oil hub Kharg Island
Vance says US now focused on free flow of commerce in Strait of Hormuz
08:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarUS vice president JD Vance said Washington’s immediate priority was restoring the “free flow of commerce” through the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the US strike on Larak Island was aimed at preventing Iran from laying mines in the key shipping route.
He accused Iran’s leadership of acting “not with a whole lot of strategic wisdom” in trying to choke off oil and gas exports.
“What’s odd to me is that they will sometimes fire at their own allies just to prevent the free flow of oil and gas,” he said, calling Iran’s leaders “really crazy”.
Iran president tells Pakistan PM war not in Tehran’s interest
07:30 , Maroosha MuzaffarIranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has told Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif that continuing the war was not in Iran’s interest and said Tehran remained willing to implement a US-Iran memorandum of understanding mediated by Pakistan in June.
He spoke with Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan on Monday.
Meanwhile, Iranian state TV said the escalation between the US and Tehran followed a tanker hitting two Iranian naval mines while trying to pass through the southern Strait of Hormuz.
It said three ships had been targeted for using an unauthorised route.
The IRGC warned other vessels that they must comply with Iran’s rules for passage or face the same fate.
US treasury secretary warns sanctions could trigger economic collapse in Iran within months
07:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarUS treasury secretary Scott Bessent said Washington’s sanctions campaign is putting severe pressure on Iran’s economy and could trigger an economic collapse within months unless Tehran agrees to negotiations.
Bessent said: “I would think that they are lashing out kinetically because they are losing economically.”
He added that “within weeks or months” the Iranian economy could collapse, though he stressed that this “does not have to happen”, saying: “We just have to have the regime come to their senses.”
Bessent also warned that the US plans to impose new sanctions every week, targeting banks and potentially cutting institutions off from the dollar-based financial system.
“You’re going to see a lot more of these every week,” he said.
Iran calls Trump’s AI video of attack on key oil export hub ‘laughable’
06:30 , Maroosha MuzaffarIran has denied Donald Trump’s claim that Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub, was being “blown to smithereens”, calling his posts “laughable”.
“Trump's tweets are laughable and conditions in Kharg are calm and appropriate,” National Iranian Oil Company chief Hamid Bovard was cited as saying by Nournews.
Trump had shared an AI video of the attack on Kharg Island earlier on his Truth Social.
Bovard said the island remained calm and oil operations had continued without interruption despite repeated US and Israeli attacks.
Kharg handles about 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports.
Oil prices rise amid renewed clashes between US and Iran
06:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarOil prices rose on Tuesday as renewed fighting between the US and Iran heightened fears of disruptions to crude supplies from the oil-rich Middle East.
Brent crude futures gained 56 cents, or 0.6 per cent, to $91.05 a barrel by 0044 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 83 cents, or 1 per cent, to $86.59 a barrel.
Vance says US military is 'big enough' to handle threats, despite reports of munitions shortages
05:30 , Rachel DobkinJD Vance has said the US military is “big enough” to handle threats, despite reports of munitions shortages.
“Are you concerned about reports of weapon shortages, the strain on the forces? Is the U.S. Military big enough to handle threats around the world, including China?” Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson asked the US vice president in a new interview.
“Look, we're clearly big enough to handle threats around the world, including China”, Vance replied. “As the president has said, we want to have a positive relationship with the PRC [People’s Republic of China]”.
Hegseth hired conservative influencers who amplify his ‘warrior ethos’ mantra: report
04:59 , Ariana BaioA handful of high-profile conservative influencers have reportedly been working as undisclosed government employees and using their huge social media followings to praise US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and defend the Trump administration’s policies.
Among them are Rob Maness, a retired Army Air Force colonel with more than 130,000 followers on X, and Kurt Schlichter, a retired Army colonel with more than 600,000 followers on X, according to the Washington Post.
Maness and Schlichter have active government email addresses ending in “.civ” – meaning they are civilian employees – and are assigned to the Defense Department’s undersecretary for personnel and readiness, sources told the Post.
Yet neither influencer has disclosed that they are working for, or did work for, the Pentagon, the Post reported. Even while they were advocating for Hegseth to fire critics at the department, backing Trump’s military actions in Venezuela and defending the Defense Secretary’s spending on a luxury dinner.
Read on...
Hegseth hired conservative influencers who amplify his ‘warrior ethos’ mantra: report
Trump threatens to hit Iran ‘hard’
04:30 , Maroosha MuzaffarDonald Trump has threatened to “hit them hard” after the US and Iran exchanged fire for the first time in a month, warning that “there will be a response” following Iranian missile strikes on US military bases in Jordan.
He called Iran “officially a failed nation without an airforce, a navy or a currency”.
The latest escalation began when US forces struck two Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran was preparing to deploy naval mines in the crucial waterway.
Iran retaliated by targeting US bases, while the UAE said it intercepted an Iranian drone.
The renewed fighting comes as Washington intensifies sanctions aimed at crippling Iran’s economy and seeks to loosen Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Full story: Trump’s Army Secretary resigns after reportedly clashing with Hegseth
03:59 , Graeme Massie & APUS Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down after 18 months on the job, the White House said Monday, in the latest departure of a top military leader during the Trump administration.
Driscoll and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s working relationship had endured months of tension during his time in the job, reported Reuters and CNN.
No reason was given for the departure of Driscoll, who is a friend of Vice President JD Vance, but tensions with Hegseth have been widely reported. It marks the latest in a series of shakeups of the military leadership, with the Army especially seeing major upheaval.
Read more...
Army Secretary resigns after reportedly clashing with Hegseth
Watch: Trump threatens further action as US and Iran exchange strikes for first time in weeks
03:29 , Rachel DobkinRetired Army general warns the US is 'much weaker than we were even before 9/11'
03:02 , Rachel DobkinRetired US Army Major General Randy Manner has warned that the US is “much weaker than we were even before 9/11”.
Manner spoke out against US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for reportedly purging top Pentagon officials.
“Quite frankly, the secretary of defense has got to go,” Manner told CNN’s Erin Burnett.
Manner’s comments come as Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned following reported tensions with Hegseth.
Vance calls Iranian leadership 'really crazy'
02:32 , Rachel DobkinWhen asked what JD Vance has learned from going to war with Iran, the US vice president said the Middle Eastern country’s leadership is “really crazy.”
“I think what I've learned is, these guys are really, really — meaning the leadership of the country — they’re really crazy.
“And they are willing to do anything, and I think not with a whole lot of strategic wisdom behind it, in order to accomplish as little flow of oil and gas as possible”, Vance told Fox News.
Iran has choked off the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil waterway in the Middle East, after the US and Israel began launching strikes against the country in late February.
Trump calls Iran conflict 'relatively little war'
02:02 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has called the ongoing conflict in Iran a “relatively little war.”
“This is a relatively little war for us. This is not a big war”, the US president said from the Oval Office Monday.
Trump’s comments come as the war heads into its seventh month.
Fully story: Trump threatens further action as US and Iran exchange strikes for first time in weeks
01:31 , Maira ButtDonald Trump has vowed to “hit Iran hard” after fighting broke out between the US and Tehran for the first time in a month.
Missiles and a drone were fired by Washington at Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday night, before Iran targeted US military bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in response.
US Central Command said it took “limited, precise action” on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “minelaying forces” in the shipping channel, where Mr Trump previously claimed the US Navy had cleared all mines.
At least three people were killed in the attack, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, with two of the dead said to be part of the Revolutionary Guards Navy.
Read on...
Trump threatens to ‘hit Iran hard’ as US and Iran restart strikes
US Senate Democrats rail against Trump administration over Iran war: 'Complete failure'
01:03 , Rachel DobkinUS Senate Democrats have railed against the Trump administration over its handling of the situation in Iran.
Mark Kelly of Arizona writes...
It’s been 6 months since Trump started this reckless war with Iran. 18 Americans are dead, prices keep rising, and America is less safe than before. Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth don’t know what they’re doing. This has been a mess from day one, and Americans are paying the price.
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) August 31, 2026
Mark Warner of Virginia writes...
We’re 6 months into Trump’s war of choice. What has it accomplished?
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) August 31, 2026
- U.S.-Iran strikes are escalating again;
- Oil prices are surging;
- Our servicemembers and military resources are stretched thin;
- Iran’s government is more extreme than it was before the war;
- And Iran…
Watch: Iranian state media releases footage of missiles being launched at US targets
Tuesday 1 September 2026 00:29 , Rachel DobkinTrump says US has 'unlimited' amount of 'older' munitions
Tuesday 1 September 2026 00:04 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has said the US has an “unlimited” amount of “older” munitions amid reports of dwindling weapons stockpiles.
“We have tremendous amounts, unlimited amounts of mid-grade and older stuff that’s also very powerful”, the US president said in the Oval Office Monday, adding that the country is also in “very good shape” with the amount of “elite” weapons it has at its disposal.
“We can always take from other sources, but I don’t think we’re gonna need it ‘cause nobody is gonna mess with us”, Trump said.
White House official says Trump has 'every option on the table' for Iran war
Monday 31 August 2026 23:32 , Rachel DobkinA White House official has said Donald Trump has “every option on the table” in his war against Iran.
“The president was very clear that he maintains every option on the table, and he’s willing to use every tool at his disposal to ensure that the world is safe and that the national security of the United States and our allies remains preserved”, White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Al Jazeera.
“And certainly economic tools are a very powerful set of tools that the president and the administration have”.
Trump claims Hormuz is in 'extremely good shape' as traffic remains muted
Monday 31 August 2026 23:01 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has claimed the Strait of Hormuz is in “extremely good shape” as maritime traffic through the vital oil waterway remains muted.
“We have the Strait of Hormuz in extremely good shape”, the US president said in the Oval Office Monday. “Many, many ships got through last night.”
Trump added that an average of about 30 ships have transited the strait a night.
But, according to the Hormuz Strait Monitor, only nine ships have passed through the waterway in the last 24 hours.
Trump berates reporter for asking nuclear weapon question
Monday 31 August 2026 22:33 , Rachel DobkinTrump has berated a reporter for asking if he's ruled out using a nuclear weapon on Iran.
“They're totally defeated militarily — so I defeat them and now I should use a nuclear weapon on top of them? What a stupid question”, the US president said from the Oval Office Monday.
"Have you ruled out using a nuclear weapon against Iran?"@POTUS: "They're totally defeated militarily — so I defeat them and now I should use a nuclear weapon on top of them? What a stupid question." pic.twitter.com/Gv9dXAJ9Zu
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 31, 2026
US Army families told Middle East deployments will last into next year: report
Monday 31 August 2026 21:54 , Rachel DobkinUS Army families have been told that their loved ones' deployments to the Middle East will last into next year, according to a new report.
In a letter dated Sunday from leaders of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, families were told the deployments, which started earlier this year, would last up to 12 months, according to CBS News, which obtained the letter and confirmed it with two US officials.
"We do not share that lightly, and we understand that a longer tour weighs heavily on every household, including our own," Major General Brandon Tegtmeier and Command Sergeant Major James Bradshaw reportedly wrote in the letter.
The Independent has reached out to the Army for comment.
Trump says he will 'smack' the 'failed nation' of Iran
Monday 31 August 2026 21:26 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has warned that he will “smack” the “failed nation” of Iran.
"They're a failed nation...Their leaders are largely dead. Their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their surveillance equipment is almost entirely gone.
“That doesn't mean we won't smack them. We'll see what happens”, the US president said from the Oval Office Monday.
.@POTUS on Iran: "They're a failed nation... That doesn't mean we won't smack them." pic.twitter.com/729VKMYE8E
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 31, 2026
Analysis: Trump goes unhinged on Iran. Can Congress escape his reality-bending juggernaut?
Monday 31 August 2026 21:03 , Eric GarciaIf House Speaker Mike Johnson hoped for a relatively calm week back in Washington after the August recess, President Donald Trump disabused him of that notion.
Over the weekend, the president posted a very realistic-looking AI-slop video on his Truth Social account showing the U.S. military attacking Kharg Island as part of its war in Iran. That sent the military scrambling and forced Pentagon sources to say that the key strategic island had not been set upon.
It’s a reminder that the speaker has been pushing a budget resolution for the past few months to boost military spending despite Johnson insisting that “we’re not at war right now.” He will likely reiterate that position when another War Powers Act resolution comes up for a vote.
Read on...
As Trump goes unhinged on Iran — don’t expect Congress to rein him in
Trump says US military is 'fully equipped' to handle attacks
Monday 31 August 2026 20:28 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has said the US military is “fully equipped” to handle any attacks.
“If we have an emergency, including wars and lots of other things, we are fully equipped to handle it. But nobody is going to attack us. You know why? ‘Cause they’re smart”, the US president said from the Oval Office Monday.
