Marco Rubio’s Taj Mahal visit

New Delhi: The Iranian Consulate in Hyderabad on Monday took a dig at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over his visit to the Taj Mahal, saying the iconic monument was built by the “talent of Iranian architects”, while accusing the United States of endangering Iranian civilization.Rubio, who is on a four-day visit to India, visited the Mughal-era monument in Agra on Monday with his wife Zeenat Rubio and described the Taj Mahal as “one of the world’s love treasures.”Soon after the visit, the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran-Hyderabad posted a scathing message on Twitter targeting the US administration.“If Rubio had any knowledge of history or architecture, he would not have posed here. This monument was built because of the emperor’s love for his Iranian wife, designed by the talent of Iranian architects – meanwhile, his government today is threatening to destroy Iranian civilization while insulting other civilizations,” the Iranian Consulate said in its post.The post also included a photo of Rubio and his wife posing in front of the Taj Mahal.

Trump’s warning comment during Iran conflict

The statement from the Iranian Consulate appears to reference comments made by Donald Trump during the ongoing Iran-US-Israel conflict.Trump warned on April 7 against Iran amid growing hostilities: “If there is no deal, an entire civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back.”

The US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering retaliatory attacks and increasing tensions across the Middle East.

Rubio’s visit to India

Rubio’s visit to India comes ahead of the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting to be held in New Delhi on Tuesday. The Quad group includes India, America, Australia and Japan.Rubio also visited the Amer Fort in Jaipur with his wife and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore.During his visit to the Taj Mahal, Rubio wrote in the visitor’s book, “Thank you for allowing us to visit one of the world’s love-filled treasures.”Security around the Taj Mahal was tightened during Rubio’s visit, with tourists temporarily moved out of parts of the monument complex.

Iran rejects Rubio’s recent comments on energy markets

The Iranian Consulate’s latest comments come a day after Iran rejected Rubio’s comments in which he accused Tehran of “holding the global energy market hostage.”In a statement issued by the Iranian Embassy in India, Tehran accused Washington of attempting to “distort the realities of the region” and defended its role in global energy trade.The statement said US sanctions on Iranian oil exports have disrupted global energy markets and were imposed “in violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations”.Meanwhile, Rubio said the US would not allow Iran to “hold the global energy market hostage” and stressed that Washington wants the Strait of Hormuz to remain open without tolls.Speaking on the ongoing negotiations with Iran, Rubio also said, “It’s still a work in progress. We thought last night, maybe today, we might get some news.”