‘Poor thing’: Iran mocks Donald Trump as viral buffalo resembling him loses appetite

Iran on Friday mocked US President Donald Trump by sharing a viral video of a Bangladeshi albino buffalo that resembles him, claiming the animal had lost its appetite after being compared to the American leader amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict.In a post on X, the official account of Iran in Russia wrote: “Poor thing! Bangladeshi buffalo upset by comparisons to Donald Trump.”The post also shared a report by Russian state media outlet RT, which said: “A Bangladeshi buffalo that resembles Trump has lost its appetite after people flocked to see him.”The viral buffalo, named ‘Donald Trump’, has become a major attraction ahead of Eid al-Adha festivities in Bangladesh’s Narayanganj district near Dhaka.The 700kg albino buffalo drew attention online because of its golden-coloured hair and facial appearance, which many social media users said resembled the US president.“When I saw his pictures on Facebook, he looked exactly like Donald Trump. His facial structure and even hairstyle match that of Trump,” a visitor told local newspaper Prothom Alo.Another visitor jokingly remarked that the buffalo’s calm nature was unlike the US president.“The buffalo is very calm and polite in nature, which definitely does not match with Donald Trump,” she said.The animal’s owner, Ziauddin Mridha, said crowds had been visiting the farm daily to take pictures with the buffalo after it went viral online.“My younger brother jokingly named it Donald Trump after seeing the hair on its head. It is very calm in nature. Albino buffaloes are generally peaceful and do not become aggressive unless provoked,” he said.The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, targeting Iranian military and strategic infrastructure. The conflict triggered weeks of missile attacks, drone strikes and retaliatory operations between both sides before an uneasy ceasefire came into effect in April.Since then, tensions have remained high, with both Iran and the US continuing to exchange sharp political and diplomatic attacks online and through public statements.According to Axios, Trump met senior officials including Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe as the White House weighed the possibility of launching fresh strikes on Iran if ongoing negotiations fail.The meeting took place as diplomatic efforts intensified, with Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir travelling to Tehran in an apparent attempt to help bridge differences and avoid a resumption of the war. A Qatari delegation also arrived in Iran as part of mediation efforts.Trump later cut short his weekend plans and announced he would return to Washington instead of attending his son Donald Trump Jr’s wedding celebrations, citing ‘circumstances pertaining to Government’ and the need to remain at the White House during a critical period.According to Axios, Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the stalled negotiations and is now said to be leaning towards a possible ‘decisive’ military operation unless a breakthrough is achieved in the coming days.