Elon Musk's assertion that the Strait of Hormuz is named after Ahura Mazda, the highest divinity of Zoroastrianism, sparked an online spat. The Islamic Republic of Iran's Consulate General in Mumbai responded, "History rewards careful reading: start with #Persian civilisation & start with Strait of #Hormuz... not Strait's."
Musk suggested there was a linguistic and historical connection between the strait's name and Ohrmazd/Ahura Mazda, the principal deity of Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion.
Elon Musk posted, "Straits of Hormuz are named after Ahura Mazda from Zoroastrianism."
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The consulate highlighted the appropriate term (rather than pluralising it as "Straits" of Hormuz) and noted that the area's historical foundations may be traced to a broader, more tangible Persian culture.
Straits of Hormuz are named after Ahura Mazda from Zoroastrianism
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 8, 2026
The name comes from the historical port city of Hormuz on the Iranian mainland, which was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Hormuz, a prosperous centre for marine trade.
Iranian embassies around the world have started a well-planned meme and social media campaign that directly challenges Washington's rhetoric by making fun of the US and President Donald Trump.
Earlier, the Iranian Embassy in Zimbabwe nonchalantly responded on X that they "lost the keys" in response to Trump's demand that Iran "Open the Strait," setting off a chain reaction of snarky comments from their embassies in South Africa and Bulgaria.
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To project resistance, accounts such as the Iranian Embassy in Tashkent have uploaded provocative, X-ray-style images of Trump. Satirical videos, such as one with Lego characters, have been shared by other missions.
The viral campaign, which is frequently led by accounts in Bulgaria and South Africa, is actively portraying Iran as an ancient culture resisting US rhetoric. Many analysts have referred to this as a full-fledged diplomatic meme war, which Al-Jazeera, in one of its reports, claims is a worldwide campaign of trolling by Iran's embassies.
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