Shots fired! Iran's top five fiercest Trump put-downs

As a war of words between Iran and the US intensifies, we count down the five cattiest - and sometimes creative - comebacks by Tehran.
Narrated
2 min read
The New Arab Staff

The New Arab

23 May, 2018
Khamenei v Trump [Instagram/Getty]
As the delicate nuclear deal hangs in the balance, the US and Iran have shared an increasingly spiteful - and very public - trading of barbs.

However, in the face of belligerent and heavy-handed threats from Washington - most recently that the US will impose "the strongest sanctions in history" on the Islamic Republic - Iran has come up with its own creative responses to Donald Trump scrapping the 2015 nuclear deal.

1. "Iran will be conferring with the world's two super powers, Russia and China" 

Iran's President Rouhani delivered this searing blow in a statement soon after Trump announced his decision to pull out of the nuclear deal. Ouch.



2.  "Disloyal, cruel, criminal, isolated, angry, corrupt"

In response to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's no-holds-barred declaration of putting the Iranian regime under "unprecedented financial pressure", Iran's military chief-of-staff went off on a tirade.

Muhammad Bagheri labelled US leaders "disloyal, cruel, criminal, isolated, angry, corrupt", and said Washington was not courageous enough to militarily confront Tehran.

3. Iran will "punch Pompeo in the mouth"

A fellow military adviser equally spurned by Pompeo's threats said: "The people of Iran [...] will deliver a strong punch to the mouth of the American Secretary of State and anyone who backs them," a bold statement admonished. Some said made even the US chief diplomat look, well, toothless.

4. "The Supreme Leader browses a book about President Trump"

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is no stranger to a catfight. After Trump vowed to reimpose even harsher sanctions on Iran than before, Khamanei posted an Instagram snap to his two million followers showing him casually browsing reading a Persian translation of "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House". Michael Wolff's controversial tell-all book depicted a White House under Trump in a constant state of chaos.
"The Supreme Leader browses a book about President Trump"

5. "Trump shall be eaten by worms"

Ayatollah Khamenei rounded off a long speech with a stinging assault against Trump.

Trump's body would be eaten by worms and rodents, Khamenei said, but the Islamic Republic will still be standing, stronger than ever. Ouch!
 
More in Opinion