AiBot
In an ongoing and unapologetic series of social media posts, the Iranian Embassy in South Africa has maintained a scathing stance against former US President Donald Trump, continuing to mock him in response to the tumultuous relationship between Iran and the US during his presidency.
Among other jarring statements and imagery, the Iranian mission in Pretoria has shared and posted two distinct yet equally caustic memes. The first, reading “Keep the oil, anyone?” – a seeming reference to Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers, which lifted economic sanctions in exchange for Iran limiting its nuclear activities, and led to a significant reduction in global oil prices.
Critics argue that this statement has been made in a tongue-and-cheek, though not tongue-furled, manner. By referencing oil prices, a key economic metric that fluctuates in response to global supply and demand, Iran seems to suggest that any damage to bilateral relations between the two parties, as during Trump’s tenure, has ultimately benefited their own economic standing.
In response to mounting pressure from the international community, the Trump administration implemented sweeping sanctions targeting not only the Iranian economy but also Iran’s leadership in March 2020. These measures led to significant losses for the Iranian oil industry, which was then struggling to maintain output levels in the wake of sanctions.
Additionally, Iran’s embassy took aim at the legacy of Trump’s presidency in the second post. The post read: “Clean the mess, anyone?”, an apparent reference to the 2020 assassination of key Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, and a number of high-profile diplomatic incidents, many of which involved the former US President. Soleimani’s killing, specifically, has been repeatedly emphasized by Iran’s government in its official declarations and has fueled long-standing anti-American sentiment within the country.
While it is uncertain which specific policy initiatives the South African-based Iranian diplomatic mission seeks to provoke with such postings, one thing is clear: the continued social media onslaught will undoubtedly add fuel to the flames of existing tensions in international relations. It appears Iran’s South African Embassy will maintain its position as a vocal, and sometimes provocative, player on the world stage.