As tensions spike in the Middle East, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) took a swipe at US President Donald Trump, mocking him with his own catchphrase: “You’re fired.”The remark came from an IRGC spokesperson after Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding that Iran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face US strikes on its power infrastructure.“Hey, Trump, you’re fired. You are familiar with this sentence. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” the spokesperson said, in a pointed jab that echoed Trump’s signature line from his time as host of The Apprentice. The closing line, “Thank you for your attention to this matter”, also appeared to mimic Trump’s tone on social media posts.
This comes after Donald Trump warned that the United States would “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power plants if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, a move that would directly target critical civilian infrastructure.Iran responded with its own sweeping threat. Military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari said that if Iran’s energy network were attacked, Tehran would retaliate against US-linked assets across the Gulf.“If Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked by the enemy, all energy infrastructure, as well as information technology…and water desalination facilities, belonging to the US and the regime in the region will be targeted pursuant to previous warnings,” he said.Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf reinforced that warning, saying key infrastructure across the Middle East could be “irreversibly destroyed” if Iranian power plants were hit.At the heart of the standoff is the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but critical shipping route through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes.Iran has already moved to effectively shut the strait amid the conflict, triggering the worst energy disruption since the 1970s. The IRGC warned the waterway would remain closed until damaged Iranian infrastructure is rebuilt.“The Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed and will not be opened until our destroyed power plants are rebuilt,” Iran said.The near-closure has already rattled global markets, with oil prices rising and European gas prices surging sharply in recent days.The latest war, launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, has now stretched beyond three weeks, with more than 2,000 people reported killed.
