On the 15th, Trump posted an AI-generated image on his social platform showing him assisting in the seizure of an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. In this AI-generated image, Trump is holding the American flag, standing beside two fully armed U.S. military soldiers. The deck of the seized vessel displays the Iranian flag, while a U.S. aircraft carrier faintly appears in the distance.
Trump wrote: “This oil tanker now belongs to us!” Just hours earlier, he had publicly declared on Long Island: “Soon, I will announce that the Strait of Hormuz is part of American territory.”
In recent days, verbal confrontations over the Strait of Hormuz have intensified, and Trump capitalized on this tension to release this post. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garabadi stated firmly on social media: “Whoever controls navigation through this strait can only be Iran. As long as you refuse to face reality and continue clinging to illusions, Iran will persist in its blockade actions.”
Commentary: Trump's current bold release of an AI-generated image and his extreme, aggressive statements about seizing control of the Strait of Hormuz are essentially classic cases of media bluffing. The United States is already deeply entrenched in a quagmire of conflict with Iran, facing a dilemma of no clear way forward—neither daring to recklessly escalate the war and bear the high cost of war, nor finding a dignified exit strategy for a peaceful withdrawal. Thus, it resorts to exaggerated visuals and hardline rhetoric to exert maximum external pressure and project an image of strong leadership domestically.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873648925852811/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author