United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is visiting India, on Monday posted a picture from his visit to the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra. Rubio was accompanied by his wife Jeanette Rubio, and the couple posted pictures from the famed bench in front of the UNESCO heritage site.
Picture perfect, but present tense? Amid the ongoing Iran and US war, the picture became Tehran’s latest weapon to take a potshot at the United States. Soon after Rubio posted the photograph, Iranians moved in to take a swipe at the US secretary of state.
A Picture And A Potshot
Consulate General of Iran in Hyderabad stated that if Rubio “knew the history or architecture, he wouldn’t have posed for a picture here.”
“This monument was built out for the love of emperor’s Iranian wife, crafted by the genius of Iranian architects – meanwhile his government today threatens to wipe out Iranian civilization, insulting other civilizations,” the consulate wrote further.
If Rubio knew the history or architecture, he wouldn’t have posed for a picture here. This monument was built out for the love of emperor’s Iranian wife, crafted by the genius of Iranian architects — meanwhile his government today threatens to wipe out Iranian civilization,… pic.twitter.com/zi4CNU3u7U
— Iran In Hyderabad (@IraninHyderabad) May 25, 2026
Remember, at the height of the Iran conflict, US President Donald Trump had “threatened to wipe out the Iranian civilisation”. In response, Iranian military commanders mocked the threat, contrasting the United States’ “paltry 250-year history” with Iran’s millennia-old heritage spanning over 6,000 years.
Taj Mahal’s Persian Connect
The monument of love was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1632 in the memory of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The tomb is a masterpiece of Mughal architecture deeply rooted in Persian heritage. Its Persian connections span multiple facets, from the royal family’s lineage to the imported artisans who designed and adorned the monument
Mumtaz Mahal (born Arjumand Banu Begum) belonged to a prominent Persian noble family, and her father, Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan, was a high-ranking Persian nobleman.
Her grandfather, Mirza Ghiyas Beg (later titled I’timad-ud-Daulah), hailed from Tehran and migrated to India in 1577 to join the court of Emperor Akbar. This side of the family also made her the niece of the formidable Empress Nur Jahan, the chief consort of Emperor Jahangir.
Mumtaz Mahal’s mother was Diwanji Begum, the daughter of Khwaja Ghiyasuddin, an esteemed Persian nobleman from Qazvin.
Example Of Persian Architecture
The Taj Mahal is widely considered the most prominent example of Persian architecture outside the borders of modern-day Iran. Its defining features, including the massive bulbous double dome, the intricate marble inlay, and the strict symmetry, are drawn directly from Safavid Persian traditions.
The Charbagh Gardens are another Persian imprint on the Taj. The sprawling grounds feature a classic Persian Charbagh garden design, which is split into four quadrants by water channels that symbolize the four rivers of paradise.
The intricate Arabic verses from the Qur’an that adorn the marble walls were selected and executed by the renowned Persian calligrapher Abdul-Haq, who hailed from Shiraz, Iran. He was later awarded the title “Amanat Khan” by Shah Jahan for his work.
Taj Mahal is a perfect blend of Persian artistic and structural principles with indigenous Indian craftsmanship and materials.