‘Commander in Grief, yet most 'powerfool' man on earth’: Iran’s cheeky CV to Italy’s Meloni after Trump fallout

A tongue-in-cheek social media post by Iran’s diplomatic mission has sparked widespread amusement online, with users hailing it as a case of “troll diplomacy” amid a reported fallout involving Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump.

The Iranian Embassy in Ghana went viral after posting a mock “job application” addressed to Italy, following tensions between Meloni and Trump that were reportedly triggered by the Italian leader’s defence of Pope Leo XIV and his calls for peace.

In the post shared by its official handle, the embassy playfully referred to Trump as the “Commander in Grief” while suggesting that Iran could step in as Italy’s new ally. “Dear Italy, Your PM just defended Pope and lost an ally in Washington… We’d like to apply for the vacancy,” the post read.

The message went on to list Iran’s “qualifications”, citing “7,000 years of civilisation” and a “shared love of poetry, architecture, and food that takes longer to prepare than Trump’s attention span”. The remark drew laughter across social media platforms for its sharp wit and cultural references.

The embassy also injected humour into culinary history, joking about a long-running “cold war” between Iran and Italy over the origins of ice cream. “The only thing Iran and Italy have ever fought over is who invented ice cream. Faloodeh came first. Gelato came louder,” it said.

Internet reaction

The post quickly gained traction on X, where users responded with a mix of humour, debate, and historical commentary. One user quipped about Italian culinary traditions, asking whether pasta is cut into smaller pieces in Iran, adding that doing so would render one “persona non grata” in Italy.

Others weighed in with historical observations. One commenter questioned Iran’s claim of 7,000 years of civilisation, pointing out that Islam dates back roughly 1,400 years. The remark prompted replies highlighting the deep pre-Islamic roots of Persian civilisation.

Several users praised the embassy’s tone, with one noting that “if diplomacy ran on poetry and desserts, this alliance would already be signed”. Another described the post as an example of how Iranian diplomatic accounts have used humour to build goodwill and present a different image of the country online.