Payam Javan: In a lighthearted exchange at the White House, former President Trump downplayed a chilling threat from Iran suggesting he could be targeted by a drone while sunbathing at Mar‑a‑Lago. Javad Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, jokingly warned on state TV that Trump “can no longer sunbathe in Mar‑a‑Lago… a small drone might hit him in the navel.” Trump replied that he hasn’t sunbathed since childhood, preferring spray tans, and ambiguously addressed whether the threat was serious: “I guess it’s a threat. I’m not sure it’s a threat, actually, but perhaps it is.”

The unusual comment comes amid escalating tensions following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities—strikes that Tehran later responded to with a symbolic missile strike on a U.S. base in Qatar. Although Iran’s response was limited, analysts note Tehran has a history of plotting against Trump, including a 2020 plan to avenge the killing of Qasem Soleimani. Despite the provocative statements, Trump treated the poolside drone warning with levity, laughing it off and expressing little concern.