'Cradle of civilisation'- Iran hits back at Trump over 'hellhole' remark on India and China
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Cradle of civilisation'- Iran hits back at Trump over 'hellhole' remark on India and China")
US President Donald Trump speaks during the NCAA Collegiate National Champions Day event at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 21, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
Iran has criticised Donald Trump for calling India and China “hellhole,” defending both nations as “cradles of civilisation.” MEA issued a muted response while Congress demands action.
Iran on Thursday hit back at US President Donald Trump after he shared a post indirectly comparing India and China with a “hellhole”. Trump shared excerpts of a program hosted by conservative author and radio host Michael Savage, who was arguing against birthright citizenship, saying that it was a loophole which allows a baby citizenship just because of being born in the country after coming from countries like “India, China or some other hellhole”. The Iranian consulate in Hyderabad defended the two nations, calling them “Cradle of civilisation”.
“China and India are the cradles of civilisation. In fact, the hellhole is where its war-criminal president threatened to decimate civilisation in Iran,” read the post from the Iranian Consulate in Hyderabad.
The comment had references to US President Donald Trump's earlier ill-conceived threat to Iran to “destroy an entire civilisation”. In another such post, the consulate called Trump “racist”. “Every day, with a new post, Trump's inhumanity proves to be beyond infinity. This is the racism itself."
MEA's muted reaction to “hellhole” comment
The Ministry of External Affairs, however, gave a muted response, no formal protest, no scathing response, not even a condemnation. The reaction just registered the comment as a passing remark.
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
The MEA spokesperson issued a restrained response on Thursday, "We have seen some reports. That’s where I will leave it,"
Reacting to the remarks, Congress on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to register a strong diplomatic protest. It termed the post “deeply insulting” and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence. In a post, Congress called Narendra Modi a “weak Prime Minister”.
“It cannot be expected that he will say anything in front of Trump. Trump has repeatedly made derogatory remarks about India, yet Modi has remained silent,” read the post from Congress.
