Donald Trump has brushed off a strange and unsettling remark from an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, who joked on national television about the president being targeted by a drone while sunbathing at Mar-a-Lago.
”Trump can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago”
The comment came from Mohammad-Javad Larijani, a senior advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during a broadcast on Iranian TV on July 9. While discussing Iran’s military technology, Larijani laughed as he imagined Trump being struck by a micro-drone mid-relaxation, per The Independent.
“Trump can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago,” he said. “Because while he’s lying down, a micro-drone might target and strike him right in the navel.”
Though Larijani added: “Of course, we fight like men,” seemingly walking back the threat, the statement still caught attention in the U.S., and made its way into a Fox News interview with Trump.
Asked by host Peter Doocy when he last went sunbathing, Trump deadpanned: “It’s been a long time. I don’t know, maybe I was around seven or so. I’m not too big into it.”
He then casually dismissed Larijani’s remark: “I guess it’s a threat. I’m sure it’s not a threat, actually, but perhaps it is.”
The comments from Iran come shortly after Trump confirmed he would “absolutely” consider launching another strike on Iran, following a June U.S. operation that targeted three key nuclear sites.
Asked by a reporter whether he would bomb the country again if intelligence showed troubling uranium enrichment, Trump responded, “Sure, without question. Absolutely, it has to be unbelievable.”
He went on to describe both Iran and Israel as “exhausted,” saying, “The last thing they’re thinking about right now is nuclear. You know what they’re thinking of? They’re thinking about tomorrow, trying to live.”
In response to Larijani’s remarks, the U.S. Secret Service declined to comment on specific protective intelligence but issued a brief statement to Newsweek:“We operate in a heightened and very dynamic threat environment, and the safety and security of the President and all of our protectees remains our highest priority.”