Wars 2026 02/28 Israel-Iran War 3.0

[Saif]

Trump mocks popularity of the name Mohammad, common among Muslims

US President Donald Trump made a joke about the popularity of the name Mohammad in the Muslim world as he mocked Iran's presidency during a campaign speech on Friday. "You ‌know, if you're in doubt about somebody's name from the Middle East, just say 'Mohammad,'" Trump told a crowd in Dalton

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Trump mocks popularity of the name Mohammad, common among Muslims

US President Donald Trump points as he leaves a campaign event in Dalton, Georgia, US on October 16, 2026. — Reuters photo

US President Donald Trump made a joke about the popularity of the name Mohammad in the Muslim world as he mocked Iran's presidency during a campaign speech on Friday.

"You ‌know, if you're in doubt about somebody's name from the Middle East, just say 'Mohammad,'" Trump told a crowd in Dalton, Georgia. "You have about a 65% chance. 'Hello, Mohammad.' I've done it for years now. I've never been wrong."

Mohammad is one of the most common male names among Muslims, who often name their sons after ⁠the Prophet Mohammad, believed by Muslims to be the final prophet.

Trump made the comment as he was discussing Iran during a rally in a hangar at Dalton Municipal Airport in Georgia, where he campaigned for Republican political candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

"Iran is the only country where nobody wants to be president," Trump said, then pretended to ask several people named Mohammad whether they wanted the job. Masoud Pezeshkian has been president of Iran since 2024.

The Georgia crowd gave the joke a muted response.

Rights advocates ‌and ⁠Muslim advocacy groups have repeatedly criticized Trump for rhetoric that they say demonizes and mocks Muslims, immigrants and ethnic minorities.

He has escalated such rhetoric during the midterm campaign season, particularly against Somali and Muslim Americans including Muslim Democratic US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Representative Ilhan ⁠Omar, a Minnesota Democrat who came to the US as a Somali refugee.

Trump repeated his vow that Iran would never get a nuclear weapon, seven months after the United States and Israel ⁠launched a war on Tehran aimed in part at crippling its nuclear program.

An annual report by the Council on American Islamic Relations released earlier this year attributed rising ⁠Islamophobia in the US in part to Trump's crackdown on immigration and pro-Palestinian protests during his second term.​

 

[Saif]

Iran will not ‘bow’ to foreign aggression, Pezeshkian says

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country will not “bow down to the excesses of aggressor countries”. “We will not allow the enemies to covet our country’s soil, just as we do not covet the soil of other countries,” he said during a meeting to review the qu

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Iran will not ‘bow’ to foreign aggression, Pezeshkian says

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Source: Reuters/File

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country will not “bow down to the excesses of aggressor countries”.

“We will not allow the enemies to covet our country’s soil, just as we do not covet the soil of other countries,” he said during a meeting to review the qualifications of the proposed minister of defence, according to the news agency ISNA.​

 

[Saif]

Two "violating" oilers caught fire after hitting naval mines in Hormuz Strait: IRGC

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said two "violating" oil tankers caught fire on Tuesday after hitting naval mines laid by its naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz, as its Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the country will not let any strike against it go unanswered. In a statement pu

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Two "violating" oilers caught fire after hitting naval mines in Hormuz Strait: IRGC

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said two "violating" oil tankers caught fire on Tuesday after hitting naval mines laid by its naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz, as its Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the country will not let any strike against it go unanswered.

In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said the oil tankers sought to cross the strait through the "illegal" route south of the waterway when they collided with the mines, warning that attempting to cross the mined path in the strait is "illegal" and will result only in the burning of the "violators' assets."

The IRGC added that in another operation, its air defense forces shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone Monday night over the Strait of Hormuz, noting that its forces are constantly monitoring the situation in the region and will continue to exercise sovereignty and management over the strait.

Also on Tuesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the country will not let any strike against it go unanswered and will respond with equal or greater force.

At a weekly press conference in Tehran, Baghaei rejected claims circulating on social media over the past few days that the United States had sent a message announcing its intention to attack Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, which is claimed to be linked to the country's nuclear program.

Baghaei said Iran has demonstrated over the past two years that the era of "hit and run" is over, dismissing suggestions that Iran would refrain from retaliating as "fantasies."

Baghaei also added that no talks were held between Tehran and Moscow on the details of the former's nuclear issue during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's recent visit to Iran.

In an interview with Newsmax on Thursday night, U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States may have to target Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, stressing that Washington seeks to ensure that Tehran will not develop nuclear weapons​