- US Pentagon disputed Iran’s claims, cited vessel old.
Iran’s embassy in Tunisia has used an Akshay Kumar meme to mock US President Donald Trump, turning a confrontation near the Strait of Hormuz into a social-media taunt. The embassy posted the Bollywood meme on X after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed it had captured an unmanned US underwater vessel near the strategic waterway. Its caption pointed to the reported loss, oil prices approaching $100 a barrel and upcoming US elections, asking Trump: “How’s it going?”
The post drew attention from Indian social-media users, who embraced the Bollywood reference widely.
Lost an underwater . Oil is nearing $100. Elections are coming. How’s it going, Trump? pic.twitter.com/XxcNCHwlmu
— I.R. Iran in Tunisia🎒(تونس) (@IranembTun) September 8, 2026
The image, from the 2006 comedy Deewane Huye Paagal, linked Iran’s claim of capturing a US underwater drone with rising oil prices and the upcoming US elections. It drew attention because an Iranian diplomatic mission had chosen an Indian film star for its political message
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X Users React
Indian users reacted. One commenter joked that Akshay Kumar had become a “geopolitical asset”, while another warned that Trump should not discover the meme was Indian because it could lead to more sanctions on India.
Another user said the meme should have been used by the “Iran in India” account. Others called the post a “banger” and described Kumar as a “meme lord”.
Iran has previously used Bollywood humour in its online messaging. In April, its consulate in Mumbai shared a scene from ‘Dhamaal’ to mock the US, captioning it “Indian memes are GOAT”.
Iran’s Claims
The meme followed an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claim that its forces had seized an unmanned US underwater vessel near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media described it as a complex operation.
Iran also claimed its air defences intercepted and destroyed a US-made MQ-1 drone over the waterway. There was no immediate US confirmation.
The Pentagon disputed aspects of Tehran’s account of the underwater vessel, describing it as an older model that had malfunctioned and saying it was not carrying sensitive data.
Also Read: Iran Claims Seizure Of ‘Most Modern’ US Unmanned Submarine, Says MQ-1 Drone Shot Down
