Iran officials hint at possible attacks on Trump properties


By Bob Fredericks
January 6, 2020 | 12:42pm


Senior Iranian officials are using Twitter to hint at threats against President Trump’s properties — including his Mar-a-Lago Club resort in Florida and Trump Tower in Manhattan — over the killing of Iran’s top military commander.

Hesameddin Ashena, a top adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, tweeted a link to a Forbes magazine profile that listed the properties, none of which is fortified to withstand a military attack, along with a quote from the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.


The tweet also included a link to a Business Casual video about his real estate empire.


“I tell the whole world that if the world wants to stand up to our religion, we will stand up against their whole world,” the quote read.


Ashena also retweeted video posted by actor Robert De Niro of black-clad throngs filling Iran’s streets mourning Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed Friday in a drone attack at Baghdad International Airport.


And he retweeted an NBC News interview with former Ambassador John Limbert, who was one of the 52 hostages held captive by the ayatollah starting in 1979.


“Mr. President, if you are listening, please don’t bother yourself on my account. Because I want nothing to do with it,” Limbert said.


Trump, who just returned from spending the holidays at Mar-a-Lago, which he calls the “Winter White House,” has said he has a list of 52 potential Iranian targets — the same number as the number of hostages who were held.


Ashena also retweeted a post from the president in which he complained about impeachment at a time “when we have so many important matters pending,” asserting that the attack was meant as a distraction.


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The Trump International Hotel in WashingtonAP“The relationship between terror and impeachment became clear,” Ashena wrote.

Ashena wasn’t the only Iranian official targeting Trump on Twitter. Javad Sarif, Iran’s foreign minister, called the president’s advisers “clowns” in one of a series of anti-Trump posts.


“Have you EVER seen such a sea of humanity in your life, @realdonaldtrump ?” he wrote along with a series of photos of mourners.


“Do you still want to listen to the clowns advising you on our region? And do you still imagine you can break the will of this great nation & its people? End of malign US presence in West Asia has begun,” Zarif wrote.


“A reminder to those hallucinating about emulating ISIS war crimes by targeting our cultural heritage: Through MILLENNIA of history, barbarians have come and ravaged our cities, razed our monuments and burnt our libraries. Where are they now? We’re still here, & standing tall,” the foreign minister tweeted.
Hundreds of thousands of mourners thronged Tehran’s streets on Monday for Soleimani’s funeral.

As the coffins of Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who also died, were passed over the heads of mourners, Soleimani’s successor vowed to expel US forces from the region in revenge.


The killing of Soleimani, the architect of Iran’s drive to extend its influence across the Middle East, has stoked concern around the globe that a broader regional conflict could erupt.


Trump has listed Iranian targets, including cultural sites, that could be hit if Iran retaliates with attacks on Americans or US assets, although American officials sought to play down the president’s reference to cultural targets.

https://nypost.com/2020/01/06/iran-o...mp-properties/