Tehran, 11 July
As the US and Iran prepare to resume talks in Norway this week, tensions have escalated with a remark from Mohammad-Javad Larijani, a former senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader. Larijani suggested that US President Donald Trump could be targeted by an Iranian drone while sunbathing at his Mar-a-Lago estate. “Trump has done something so that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago… a small drone might hit him in the navel,” he said, referencing Trump’s 2020 order to assassinate Iranian General Qasem Soleimani via a US drone strike.

Trump laughed off the threat during a Fox News interview, joking he hadn’t sunbathed since age seven. But the statement adds to already heightened tensions following US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear and military sites two weeks ago during the 12-day Israel-Iran war. Trump claimed the strikes “obliterated” the sites, but experts argue Iran may have secretly moved enriched uranium stockpiles before the attack. However, Israeli intelligence suggests the uranium remains in place.

Despite ongoing hostilities, Trump has indicated interest in lifting sanctions, while Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian remains skeptical, citing deep mistrust in the relationship. Trump has also warned of future bombings if the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei does not end the country's nuclear enrichment program.