In a fresh sarcastic jab, the Iran Embassy in South Africa took direct aim at US President Donald Trump, over a viral maritime communication clip, calling him “idiot”.
The remark came in response to a purported video allegedly featuring communication from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), where a voice was heard using the word “idiot.” An account sharing Trump’s TruthSocial posts had claimed the remark was aimed at Iran’s foreign minister — a claim the embassy sharply dismissed.
The Iranian mission said, “You idiot, he meant your Idiot President, Trump. Just google ‘idiot’—you’ll understand who it is,” the embassy said in a post on X. Track US-Iran war live updates.
What the viral IRGC communication said
The purported radio message, attributed to the IRGC navy, warned vessels attempting to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
“This is Iranian Sepah Navy calling on channel 16, Strait of Hormuz is still closed, we will open it by the order of our Imam Khamenei, not by the tweets of some idiot.”
“If you want to pass through the Strait, you must ask for the permission from the Iranian Sepah navy, all vessels that have a connection with our enemies, will be targeted if they try to pass the Strait of Hormuz,” the radio communication said.
Strait control tightened
The comments came as Iran’s joint military command said on Saturday that control of the Strait of Hormuz had been restored to its earlier status and was now under the “strict management and control of the armed forces.”
This came just a day after Tehran had briefly reopened the key shipping route for commercial vessels.
It also warned that transit would remain blocked as long as the US blockade on Iranian ports continued.
The IRGC navy said the closure had been extended even to a previously designated safe corridor, declaring the strait fully shut until the blockade is lifted. A late-night statement warned that any violating vessel would be targeted.
Iran’s initial decision to reopen the waterway had come amid a fragile 10-day truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
Talks inch forward despite escalation
Despite the flare-up, diplomatic backchannels appear active. Pakistani officials indicated that Washington and Tehran were still moving closer to a deal ahead of an April 22 ceasefire deadline.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said proposals were conveyed via Pakistan’s army chief during a recent visit to Tehran, though details were not disclosed. The council added that further negotiations would require the US to abandon “excessive demands.”
It also made clear that Iran would retain full control over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including issuing transit certificates and imposing tolls, until “the war fully ends and lasting peace is achieved in the region.”
(With AP inputs)
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