In Tehran, Iran’s war with the United States extends beyond the battlefield into the realm of visual propaganda. Towering images and large-scale murals transform city walls into billboards that broadcast the official narrative far beyond Iran’s borders.

One prominent example is a massive poster on Valiasr Avenue depicting former US President Donald Trump with his mouth sewn shut, covered by a blue veil shaped like the Strait of Hormuz. Installed on May 2, 2026, during heightened conflict and stalled negotiations over this crucial maritime passage, the poster symbolizes Iran’s control over nearly 25% of the world’s oil transport and its capacity to silence Washington.

Another banner portrays the lineage of Iran’s religious leaders: Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, stands beside Ali Khamenei—who was killed in the war’s initial strikes on February 28, 2026—and is shown handing the Iranian flag to his successor and son, Mojtaba Khamenei.

These murals reinforce the values upheld by the Islamic Republic, commemorating martyrs of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), displaying revolutionary slogans, and expressing anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiments. A researcher noted, “The city thus becomes a vast narrative space.”

At the start of the Iran-Iraq War, many paintings were created by committed artists, art students, and talented amateurs, with community-driven local initiatives playing a role. Today, the process is fully centralized, with massive billboards commissioned directly by government bodies. The compositions have grown more sophisticated, borrowing the visual language of advertising, cinema, and blockbuster movie posters. This evolution reflects a visual strategy shaped during the Islamic Revolution and now supercharged by artificial intelligence.

This artistic and emotional dimension of Iran’s propaganda has gradually shifted from grassroots efforts to a centralized, state-controlled operation designed to project power and influence.

Sources

France 24 English