In Tehran, Iran’s conflict with the United States extends beyond conventional warfare into a visual battle waged through enormous, state-sponsored posters and murals. These artworks transform city walls into billboards that broadcast the government’s official narrative both domestically and internationally.

A prominent example is a towering image of former US President Donald Trump on Valiasr Avenue, one of Tehran’s busiest streets. The poster depicts Trump with his mouth sewn shut, covered by a blue veil shaped like the Strait of Hormuz. Accompanying the image is a bilingual slogan reading "At the breaking point." Installed on May 2, 2026, during heightened tensions and stalled negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz, the mural symbolizes Iran’s control over this critical maritime passage through which nearly 25% of the world’s oil is transported, portraying it as a weapon capable of silencing Washington.

Another banner illustrates the lineage of Iran’s religious leadership, showing the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini, alongside Ali Khamenei—who was killed in the initial strikes of the current war on February 28, 2026—passing the Iranian flag to his successor and son, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Large-scale murals in Tehran continuously reinforce the values upheld by the Islamic Republic. They commemorate martyrs of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), display revolutionary slogans, and express anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiments. A researcher noted, "The city thus becomes a vast narrative space."

At the onset of the Iran-Iraq War, many of these paintings were created by committed artists, art students, and talented amateurs, often through community-driven local 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 flank a narrow waterway to symbolically mark and defend a kingdom’s entrance.

This visual propaganda strategy, shaped during the Islamic Revolution and now enhanced by artificial intelligence, serves as an art of war that extends Iran’s voice far beyond its borders.

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