TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that Donald Trump, wading through a reelection year with a troubled campaign, “desperately” needed a photo op with certain Arab rulers to boost his reelection chances.

Zarif said Jared Kushner, the U.S. president's son-in-law and senior advisor, is blackmailing rulers of regional countries into giving Trump a photo op ahead of the November 3 presidential election.

“Donald Trump desperately needed a campaign photo. His son-in-law blackmailed their regional clients into giving him one,” Zarif tweeted.

Taking a jab at Bahrain and the UAE's past dealings with Israel, including a secret visit by Saudi Crown prince Mohammad bin Salman to Israel in 2017, Zarif asserted that Arab countries currently signing normalization deals with Israel were not at all foes of it. Instead, they are allies of Israel.

“Peace agreements being signed are NOT between foes but longstanding allies. What a diplomatic coup! Stay tuned for more....”