Tehran responded defiantly after US President Donald Trump demanded that Iran immediately stop its proxies in Lebanon. Instead of softening the tone, Iranian officials aligned with the establishment publicly mocked the threat, signaling they do not want to appear intimidated by Washington.
The sharpest reply came from Mohammad Marandi, an adviser to the Iranian delegation, who reposted Trump’s message on X and wrote in English, “Sore loser,” with a laughing emoji. In Hebrew terms, the phrase means taunting a loser who cannot accept defeat. Another prominent response came from Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for Iran’s National Security Committee, who was quoted as saying Trump was angry over the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz and was threatening to take control of it and become its “guardian.” Rezaei added, “Only a fool can make such completely empty claims,” and said, “The era of these bluff attacks has ended.”
Trump’s warning was unusually blunt. He wrote that “Iran must immediately stop its proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble.” If Tehran does not do so, he said the US would “hit Iran very hard again, just as we did last week, only stronger.” He also publicly linked Iran to Hezbollah’s activity in Lebanon, putting responsibility on Tehran to restrain the group.
The dispute also touches on the Strait of Hormuz, where Trump told Fox News the US might one day take control if needed and even charge transit fees. He described the US as the “guardian” of the strait and the Middle East. Iranian officials interpreted that language as a sign of weakness and answered with scorn. The exchange comes as Trump says Iran remains under scrutiny and that military and diplomatic pressure are still on the table, making the mockery part of a wider contest over the post-deal balance of power.
