US President Donald Trump has laughed off a threat from a senior Iranian official, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, who suggested Trump could be targeted in a drone attack while sunbathing at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Larijani, a former adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, made the provocative comment on Iranian state television, stating, “Trump has done something so that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago. As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It’s very simple”.
When asked about the remarks in a Fox News interview, Trump responded with humor, saying, “It’s been a long time. I don’t know, maybe I was around seven or so. I’m not too big into it. Yeah, I guess it’s a threat. I’m not sure it’s a threat actually, but perhaps it is”.
Larijani’s comments come amid heightened US-Iran tensions following recent American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and religious decrees from Iranian clerics calling for Trump’s assassination in retaliation for his role in the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and the latest strikes.
The threat has also been amplified by an online campaign, “Blood Pact,” which claims to have raised tens of millions of dollars for retribution against those perceived as enemies of Iran’s leadership, including Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Despite the serious context, Trump appeared unfazed, joking about his lack of interest in sunbathing and downplaying the threat. The episode underscores the ongoing volatility in US-Iran relations and the personal risks faced by high-profile leaders in the wake of escalating geopolitical conflicts.
