‘Schizophrenia, hallucinations, delusions’: Iran slams Trump, advises him to consult psychologists after US prez calls Hormuz ‘US terrotory’

Iran has hit back at US President Donald Trump, with a senior Iranian official labelling him “schizophrenic” over his remarks on the Strait of Hormuz and urging countries to reject what Tehran called Washington’s “illegal” sanctions. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Qaribabadi made the remarks in a social media post on Friday (Aug 28), referring to an image circulated by Trump that presented the strategically important waterway as part of US territory.

Qaribabadi described schizophrenia as a disorder involving altered thinking and a distorted perception of reality, before referring to “hallucination and delusion” in an apparent jibe at Trump. He also said psychologists recommend that patients with such conditions be monitored and treated around the clock, in a sarcastic reference to the US president.

Trump had earlier described the Strait of Hormuz as “open” and said Iran’s response to US military action was “very moderate”, according to US news outlet Axios. He added that Tehran did not want the US to attack it again.

The remarks came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran over sanctions targeting Iran’s economy and pressure on countries trading with the Islamic Republic.

In a separate statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry urged the international community not to enforce the US sanctions, calling them “completely illegal and unjustified”. The ministry said the measures violated the UN Charter, international humanitarian law and human rights, and argued that countries should neither impose the sanctions nor recognise their effects.

Tehran warned that countries joining the US pressure campaign would be helping impose Washington’s policies on sovereign states and disrupt legitimate economic and commercial relations. Iran also accused the US sanctions policy of undermining the principle of sovereign equality between states.