Tehran (TDI): Iran has responded sarcastically to US President Donald Trump’s claim over the Strait of Hormuz, with an official Iranian social media account posting a map labelling California as the “new territory” of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Trump had shared an image on his Truth Social account showing the Strait of Hormuz highlighted beneath the words “NEW US Territory”.
The post followed earlier remarks in which Trump suggested that the strategically important waterway could become US territory after the conflict ends. The White House later reposted the image on its official X account.
In response, the official Iran in Hyderabad account on X shared a map of the United States with California highlighted and labelled it “NEW TERRITORY OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN”.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also criticized Trump’s statement, warning that his claims about the Strait of Hormuz would either be corrected or challenged by Iran.
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The exchange comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington following months of conflict and stalled diplomatic efforts.
California was chosen for the Iranian response in part because the state, particularly the Los Angeles area, has one of the largest Iranian-American communities outside Iran.
According to the Iranian Diaspora Dashboard hosted by UCLA’s Centre for Near Eastern Studies, around 141,000 Iranian Americans live in Los Angeles County.
The Iranian-American community in Southern California grew substantially after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, with Los Angeles’ Westwood neighbourhood becoming a major centre of Iranian cultural and community life. The area is often informally referred to as “Tehrangeles”.
The latest exchange reflects the increasingly confrontational rhetoric between Tehran and Washington as disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz continue.
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Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending the conflict and creating a framework for broader negotiations. However, the agreement has since stalled amid disputes over its implementation and the status of navigation through the strategic waterway.
Separate negotiations between Iran and Oman over arrangements for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have also continued, but have yet to produce a breakthrough.
