New Delhi: The US-Iran conflict has now raised a new question online: Who built the Taj Mahal? The Iranian consulate in Hyderabad reshared a picture of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in front of the Mughal monument, triggering the internet.
“If Rubio knew the history or architecture, he wouldn’t have posed for a picture here,” the X post read.
The Iranian consulate added that the monument was a symbol of love for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s Iranian wife and was crafted by Iranian architects. The consulate further pointed out that Iranian architects crafted the tomb, while Rubio’s government attempts to “wipe out Iranian civilisation.”
In the picture, Rubio is sitting in front of the monument with his wife, Jeanette. Rubio is currently visiting India to ease the strained relationship with the US. After meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday, Rubio headed to Agra on 25 May.
A divided internet
The post, however, resulted in a mixed reaction online. While some called for applause for the tweet, others said that the architect Ahmad Lahori was merely of “Persian descent.”
“In India, illegal kids of Mughals are having a hard time proving Taj Mahal was made by Mughals, and now illegal kids of Iran are jumping in to steal credit,” wrote one user.
Another user said that the Taj Mahal is a symbol of Indo-Iranian brotherhood and that Rubio posing in front of it was “peaky hypocrisy.”
One user believed that Rubio’s visit represented a helping hand.
“Marco Rubio understands the Iranian civilisation and understands that the transnational Islamic Republic terrorist regime does not represent the Iranian civilisation. He’s going to help the Iranian civilisation liberate itself from the Islamic occupation,” the post read.
While some said that at the time of the monument’s construction, the country of Iran did not exist. Others focused on Rubio’s shoes.
Rubio’s got zero confidence, and he’s trying way too hard to hide it.😂 pic.twitter.com/K8qV8dXeHZ
— Mr. Saeed Ramahi (@October23G) May 25, 2026
During his visit, Rubio also signed the visitors’ book at the seventh wonder of the world.
“Thank you for allowing us to visit one of the true treasures of the world,” he wrote.
Upon leaving the tomb, Rubio told reporters that the Taj Mahal was “beautiful.”
This was, however, not the first time that jabs have been made by either side on social media. Both parties took the conflict online with a series of retweets, AI-generated videos, and memes.
The crisis in the Middle East has been ongoing since the United States and Israel first launched airstrikes against Iran in February 2026. After weeks of standoffs and a mounting oil crisis following the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a truce has taken place. With US President Donald Trump hinting that a memorandum of understanding between the two nations is “proceeding nicely”.