Tehran: Iran’s Embassy in Zimbabwe has used a clip from the Telugu action film Bhagavanth Kesari to mock US President Donald Trump’s threat to “annihilate” Iran.
The embassy shared a 58-second clip featuring Telugu actor Nandamuri Balakrishna on X on Wednesday, September 23, alongside a sarcastic reference to Bollywood and Hollywood.
“Trump talks about annihilating Iran. But he knows Iran is not defenceless. Since we informed they have recently been watching Bollywood instead of Hollywood,” the embassy wrote.
The clip shows Balakrishna’s character facing a group of armed men. He uses what appears to be a manhole cover as a shield while coming under gunfire. After the firing stops, he mounts a gun but does not use it, instead throwing large gas cylinders towards the attackers.
Watch the video here
However, the embassy’s reference to Bollywood was incorrect. Bhagavanth Kesari is a Telugu-language action film directed by Anil Ravipudi and starring Nandamuri Balakrishna, Kajal Aggarwal, Sreeleela and Arjun Rampal.
Trump’s ‘annihilate’ Iran threat
The embassy’s post came a day after Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, September 22, as the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran approaches its eighth month.
Trump used his UNGA speech to present what he described as a “big decision” over Iran, saying he could either reach a deal that would allow the country to rebuild or “annihilate the Islamic Republic” if an agreement was not reached. He also reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
His remarks came days after a UN fact-finding mission said there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that US forces committed war crimes in two February strikes in Iran, including an attack on a primary school in Minab and another on a sports facility in Lamerd. The US government has disputed the findings, while a Pentagon investigation into the Minab strike remains ongoing.
