TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s state-backed propaganda campaign against the United States has intensified in recent months, with increasingly graphic billboards appearing across Tehran as the country remains locked in a prolonged conflict with Washington and its allies.
Large displays across the Iranian capital have featured disturbing images portraying U.S. President Donald Trump in a coffin, the White House engulfed in flames and altered versions of the American flag incorporating skulls and images of bombs.
The campaign has become more aggressive following the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an airstrike at the beginning of the conflict.
Violent Messages Dominate Tehran’s Billboards
State-sponsored billboards have long been a visible part of Tehran’s urban landscape, appearing alongside commercial advertisements for everyday products.
But recent months have brought a dramatic shift in their messaging.
One billboard near central Enghelab Square reportedly depicted Trump lying in a coffin with his hands folded across his body. Another showed the White House burning beneath messages calling for retaliation.
A separate display used the phrase “Revenge is inevitable”, accompanied by an image portraying Trump being attacked by multiple hands.
The imagery has been documented by photographers working in Tehran, showing residents continuing their daily routines beneath increasingly confrontational political messages.
Khamenei’s Death Changed the Tone
The propaganda campaign intensified after Khamenei was reportedly killed in an airstrike on the opening day of the war.
Following his death, Iranian authorities also displayed images of his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, across the capital.
The shift in imagery reflects the heightened tensions between Iran and the United States after months of military confrontation.
Some of the billboards have referenced Iranian military personnel killed during the conflict, combining memorial messages with threats of retaliation against U.S. leaders.
AI Becomes Part of Iran’s Propaganda Strategy
Artificial intelligence has also emerged as an important tool in the evolving information campaign.
AI-generated or digitally manipulated imagery can allow governments and political groups to produce dramatic visuals quickly and distribute them across social media and public spaces.
The technology has made it easier to create highly emotional images that blur the line between traditional political messaging and digitally produced propaganda.
For Iran, such material provides a way to reinforce narratives of resistance, retaliation and national unity during a period of intense military and political pressure.
Propaganda Becomes Part of Daily Life
For Tehran residents, the imagery has become part of the visual environment of everyday life.
Billboards displaying commercial advertisements stand alongside giant political posters carrying messages about war, revenge and national resistance.
The contrast illustrates how propaganda can become embedded in ordinary public spaces during periods of conflict.
Iran’s increasingly aggressive messaging also signals the depth of hostility between Tehran and Washington, particularly following the deaths of senior Iranian figures and military personnel.
As the conflict continues, the propaganda campaign is likely to remain an important part of Iran’s effort to shape public sentiment at home and project a message of defiance abroad.
