In Tehran, Iran’s conflict with the United States extends beyond military and diplomatic arenas into a visual propaganda campaign. Enormous, government-commissioned posters and murals transform city walls into a narrative space promoting the Islamic Republic’s official stance.

One prominent example is a towering image of former US President Donald Trump on Valiasr Avenue, one of Tehran’s busiest streets. The image shows Trump with his mouth sewn shut, covered by a blue veil shaped like the Strait of Hormuz—a strategic maritime passage Iran seeks to control, through which nearly 25% of the world’s oil is transported. Installed on May 2, 2026, during heightened tensions and stalled negotiations over the Strait, the poster symbolizes Iran’s intent to silence Washington.

Other murals depict religious leaders, including the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini, standing beside Ali Khamenei—who was killed in the war’s initial strikes on February 28, 2026—and handing the Iranian flag to his successor and son, Mojtaba Khamenei.

These large-scale visuals serve multiple purposes: honoring martyrs of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), displaying revolutionary slogans, and expressing anti-American and anti-Israel sentiments. A researcher noted that “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, often driven by local community initiatives. Today, the process is fully centralized, with massive billboards commissioned directly by government bodies. The compositions have grown more sophisticated, borrowing visual language from advertising, cinema, and blockbuster movie posters. Some designs draw inspiration from cultural references such as the “Lord of the Rings” franchise, where imposing statues mark strategic entrances.

This visual strategy, shaped during the Islamic Revolution and now enhanced by artificial intelligence, aims to carry the government’s voice far beyond Iran’s borders.

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