A social media post referencing a 2020 article has recirculated a claim by then-President Donald Trump about the United States bombing Iran's Kharg Island. The original report, from The Washington Post on January 3, 2020, detailed a tweet from Trump stating, "The United States just bombed Kharg Island, targeting Iran's most critical oil terminal."
This statement was made in the tense period following the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. However, no such U.S. military strike on Kharg Island ever took place. U.S. defense officials at the time and subsequent reporting confirmed the claim was false.
The recirculation of this years-old claim coincides with ongoing regional tensions. Kharg Island remains Iran's primary oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf. Experts note the resurfacing of such disinformation often occurs during periods of heightened geopolitical strain.
