Iran’s main media outlets could not get enough of new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday, delivering saturation coverage of the man they claim is a new incarnation of U.S. President Donald Trump.
He replaces Theresa May, who announced her resignation last month after Parliament repeatedly rejected the withdrawal agreement she struck with the 28-nation bloc.
Iran’s political spectrum splashed Johnson’s elevation to lead the ruling Conservative Party — and therefore the country — across their front pages.
“British Trump,” cried the banner of reformist Sazandegi, over a full-page picture of Johnson celebrating his win.
The conservative Jaam-e Jam published a picture edited to show Johnson casting a shadow in the shape of Trump’s profile on a wall behind him, with the title “Mimicking Trump”.
The reformist Etemaad’s headline read “Elected by hardliners”, with an editorial predicting Johnson’s tenure at 10 Downing Street would be short-lived.
An assortment of the front pages of Iranian newspapers the following day after the announcement of Boris Johnson winning the race to become Britain’s next prime minister, amdist the tense diplomatic stand-off with Iran. ( ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)
The ultra-conservative Resaalat published a cartoon of Johnson in the guise of a British butler, being patted on the head by Trump at his desk in the Oval Office.
“B team now has five members,” it said, echoing a term Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif regularly uses for senior officials in the U.S. and its allies who share a hard line on Iran.
Zarif however congratulated Johnson for his victory.
In a tweet on July 23 Zarif attacked May’s government for “seizure of Iranian oil at behest of US” calling it a “piracy”, then he went on to warmly welcome Johnson, calling him “my former counterpart”.
The May govt’s seizure of Iranian oil at behest of US is piracy, pure & simple.
I congratulate my former counterpart, @BorisJohnson on becoming UK PM.
Iran does not seek confrontation. But we have 1500 miles of Persian Gulf coastline.These are our waters & we will protect them pic.twitter.com/svEqmEHQBM
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) July 23, 2019
“It is very important for Boris Johnson as he enters 10 Downing Street to understand that Iran does not seek confrontation, that Iran wants normal relations based on mutual respect,” Zarif told reporters earlier.
Zarif was responding to a question about whether he had a message for Johnson when he takes over from Theresa May as prime minister on Wednesday.
AFP contributed to this story