Donald Trump has tweeted a dramatic picture of himself in the style of TV show Game of Thrones as he alludes to upcoming Iran sanctions.

The US president shared an image of himself looking off-camera while striding forward on top of a moody grey background.

The words: "Sanctions are coming. November 5" run across this chest.

The font is the same as that used in hit TV show Game of Thrones and the wording is a riff on one of the famous lines from the series: "Winter is Coming".

The post appears to allude to Mr Trump reinstating sanctions against Iran that had been removed under the 2015 nuclear deal.

:: The Iran nuclear deal explained

At the time of the announcement, The White House said it was "the toughest sanctions regime ever imposed on Iran" and targeted Iran's energy, shipping and banking sectors.

It's the second batch of penalties that the administration has reimposed since Mr Trump, a former reality TV star, withdrew from the landmark deal in May.

"Winter is Coming" is the motto of one of the main families in the show, the Starks. In the series, it is a reference to being vigilant and in a state of preparedness for any danger or hardship.

The phrase has become a popular meme online.

The words "Brace yourselves" sit above an image of Ned Stark, the head of the family at the beginning of the series, while the phrase "winter is coming" is placed underneath. Sometimes the second section is adapted.

Image: An example 'Winter is Coming' meme. Pic: Imgflip

It is often used to poke fun at topics that are likely to be widely talked about or take place. For example, it could be used before Halloween to say "Brace yourselves Halloween costume pictures are coming".

Game of Throne is a HBO series.

In a public statement, a spokesperson for the network said: "We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes."

The company's Twitter account posted: "How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?"

Dothraki is one of the languages spoken in the Game of Thrones universe.

Users online have highlighted that the background of the picture appears to echo official images of the Night King, a powerful and evil character who commands an army of supernatural warriors intent on crossing an enormous wall that was built to keep him and his army at bay.

Social media users were quick to reply to the president's post, including photoshopping a version of Mr Trump's tweet to feature Robert Mueller – who is leading the investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

Others praised the post. Twitter user Kevogre wrote: "I love this man. I love the way he uses social media. I love the way he sends leftists into fits. I love the way he fights back."

"I love the way he puts America First. #MAGA I love my president," the user added, including a reference to Mr Trump's slogan Make America Great Again (MAGA).

More from Donald Trump

It comes as the US says global oil supplies will exceed demand next year, making it easier for countries to cut Iranian oil imports to zero.

Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran, told reporters that Saudi Arabia had been "very helpful" in bolstering oil supplies while the US moved to reimpose sanctions against Tehran.

Original Article

[contf] [contfnew]

Sky News

[contfnewc] [contfnewc]