Iran mocks Trump with map claiming California as Iranian territory
The Iranian consulate's choice of California also carried a cultural reference. Southern California is home to the largest Iranian diaspora outside Iran, with Los Angeles becoming a major destination for Iranian migrants following the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
An online dispute has erupted between US and Iranian officials after Iran's Consulate General in Hyderabad, India, posted a map of the United States labelling California as the "NEW TERRITORY OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN", in a satirical response to US President Donald Trump's remarks about the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump had shared an image on Truth Social depicting the strategic waterway as "NEW U.S. Territory". The White House later shared the image on X. Trump's post followed earlier statements that the Strait of Hormuz would become US territory once the war concludes, says TRT World.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also criticised Trump in a post on X, calling him "delusional" and warning that his views on the Strait of Hormuz would soon be corrected.
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The exchange comes as peace talks between Washington and Tehran have stalled. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending their months-long conflict, but negotiations have since ground to a halt over disputes concerning navigation rights in the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway, which links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, is a major global shipping route and a key transit point for oil and other energy supplies.
The Iranian consulate's choice of California also carried a cultural reference. Southern California is home to the largest Iranian diaspora outside Iran, with Los Angeles becoming a major destination for Iranian migrants following the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Westwood in Los Angeles developed into a prominent Iranian-American community and became widely known as "Tehrangeles". Los Angeles County is estimated to be home to about 141,000 Iranian Americans.
