Iran has flayed Donald Trump over, what is perceived, as an insensitive repost where US President calls India and China “hellholes.”
The Iranian Consulate General in Mumbai had a pointed response, and it came with a video. Posted on social media, the clip toured Maharashtra’s landscapes and cultural landmarks, letting the visuals do much of the talking. The message was simple. Come see India first, then talk.
The consulate suggested a trip to the state would do Trump good, calling it a cultural detox. It said that the visit might put a stop to what it bluntly called his “random bakwaas.”
The row began when Trump reposted a podcast by American commentator Michael Savage, a conservative American radio host and political commentator with a long history of inflammatory remarks. He has been banned from entering the United Kingdom since 2009 over comments authorities deemed threatening to community relations. His show, The Savage Nation, was one of the most listened-to radio programmes in the US at its peak.
Savage had referred to India, China and other countries as hellholes. He alleged that people from both Asian nations travel to the US in the final stages of pregnancy to secure citizenship for their children through the country’s birthright citizenship laws. He described Indian and Chinese immigrants as gangsters who had disrespected the American flag.
However, Trump’s repost was widely read as his personal endorsement of those views.
The controversy is rooted in Trump’s long-running push to end birthright citizenship in the US. Guaranteed under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, the law automatically grants citizenship to anyone born on American soil.
Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 seeking to restrict this right. The order was quickly challenged in federal courts and has been blocked from taking effect. The legal battle is ongoing.
India-US Relations: The Bigger Picture
The timing could not have been worse. India and the US have spent years carefully building closer trade and defence ties. Modi and Trump have never been shy about showing the world they get along. The two have made their personal chemistry a talking point, and it has served both leaders well politically. They met as recently as February 2025, with Trump publicly calling Modi a great friend. With trade talks still in progress, there is real business on the line. A public blowup over a word like “hellhole” is the kind of distraction neither can afford.
India’s Response
India gave a fitting reply. The Ministry of External Affairs came out swinging, calling the remarks uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was direct: the comments bore no resemblance to what the India-US relationship actually looks like. He said it was a partnership built on mutual respect and shared interests, and words like those did nothing to reflect that reality. Jaiswal also pointed out that the US embassy had already felt the need to respond, a telling sign of just how much damage the remarks had caused.
US Embassy Damage Control
The US embassy moved quickly to limit the fallout. Spokesperson Christopher Elms said Trump viewed India as a great country. He added that the president spoke positively of his personal relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Iran’s mockery of Trump is unsurprising given the state of relations between the two countries. The US and Iran have had no formal diplomatic relations since 1980. Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 during his first term and reimposed sweeping sanctions. Tensions have remained high since. Iran’s consulate post can be seen as part of a broader pattern of using diplomatic social media channels to score political points against Washington.
Also Read: Trump’s ‘Hellhole’ Jibe at India, China Sparks Outrage https://www.vibesofindia.com/trumps-latest-india-china-jibe-hellhole/
