Sholay's Thakur vs Doctor Strange: Iran Mocks UN's 'Arm Game' In Latest Meme

Iran has turned to global cinema to satirically criticise the United Nations for its perceived failure to act decisively in real-world situations, referencing the Hollywood blockbuster 'Doctor Strange' and Bollywood's iconic character Thakur Baldev Singh from 'Sholay' to illustrate its point.

Taking to X, Iran's Embassy in India shared a meme that contrasts a multi-armed Marvel character with the 'handless' Bollywood figure, illustrating the perceived omnipotence of the UN alongside the organisation's limitations during significant international conflicts.

The first panel depicts Doctor Strange, the fictional superhero with magical powers, showcasing multiple arms and labelled "UN according to school books." The second panel features Thakur Baldev Singh from the 1975 classic 'Sholay', whose hands were amputated by the villain Gabbar. The caption of the panel read, "UN in reality".

Iran's Criticism

The criticism came as the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the United Nations' so-called indifference toward the alleged violations of the UN Charter by the US and the Israeli forces, calling on the world body to explicitly condemn Washington's illegal threats against Iran.

Araghchi made the remarks during a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on the final day of his visit to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency.

The report claimed that the Iranian foreign minister briefed Guterres on the latest developments in the Middle East following the US-Israeli military aggression against Iran, stressing that Iran, "as a founding member of the United Nations, had expected and continues to expect the organisation and its member states not to remain indifferent to violations of international law and blatant breaches of the UN Charter by a permanent member of the Security Council."

He also called for an explicit condemnation of the US' alleged interventionist measures and "illegal threats against the Islamic Republic."

Situation In Iran

Iran has, meanwhile, threatened to attack infrastructure around the Middle East, intensifying its rhetoric as it awaits a formal response from Washington on a new plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 

US President Donald Trump has already dismissed the proposal from Tehran, but Iran's foreign minister said Monday that he was expecting a formal response from American officials within a day.

Fighting has subsided in recent weeks, though Tehran has continued to target ships in the strait, with Washington falling back on an economic pressure campaign instead of further military action.