Strains between the United States and Iran have increased further after a threatening remark by Mohammad-Javad Larijani, a former senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a drone strike against US President Donald Trump.
In remarks broadcast by Iran International, Larijani said, “Trump has done something so that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago. As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It’s very simple.”
The threat seems to allude to Trump’s 2020 drone attack that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, an incident that has continued to fuel anti-Trump rhetoric among Iran’s leadership.
Trump Bats Lightly but Winks at Continuing Conflict
In response to the threat in a Fox News interview, Trump seemed to brush aside the remarks, saying, “It’s been a long time. I don’t know, maybe I was around seven or so. I’m not too big into it,” when asked when he last went sunbathing.
While initially brushing off the threat, he acknowledged the seriousness of Iran’s rhetoric, stating, “I guess it’s a threat. I’m sure it’s not a threat, actually, but perhaps it is.”
US-Iran Tensions Flare After Recent Airstrikes
The threat comes just weeks after the United States conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, following Iran’s involvement in a 12-day war with Israel. Trump has claimed the strikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
But experts and intelligence agents present varying perspectives. Iran might have moved its stockpile of enriched uranium before the US air strikes, some analysts propose. The uranium had not been transferred and is still in the identified nuclear facilities, a counterassertion by an Israeli official.
Diplomacy on Ice: Norway Talks and Continuing Sanctions
Despite the aggressive rhetoric, diplomatic talks are to resume this week, with US and Iranian officials meeting in Norway. Trump has suggested he was open to lifting sanctions, but Iran’s newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian was skeptical in a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, citing trust as a significant obstacle to reestablishing relations.
Trump, on his part, has vowed additional bombings if Iran halts its nuclear enrichment activities, maintaining a hardline policy that started under his watch.
