Iranian Billboards Intensify Anti-U.S. War Propaganda

State-sponsored billboards across Tehran have become more overt and violent as Iran’s conflict with the United States and Israel has dragged on, with some of the images apparently produced using artificial intelligence.

The large roadside posters, alongside adverts for everyday products, have long carried anti-American messages. But images captured by Iranian photojournalists over almost six months show a marked shift in tone since the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the war launched by the United States and Israel.

Violent Changes Around Tehran

One billboard was photographed last month near the capital’s Enghelab Square. It featured non-threatening imagery of Khamenei before being replaced with a graphic showing President Donald Trump lying in a casket, with his hands together over his belly.

In mock handwritten writing, the billboard referred to sailors killed in a torpedo attack on the Iranian warship Iris Dena by the USS Charlotte attack submarine. It also included a death threat directed at Trump.

Less than two weeks later, the same billboard location showed another graphic, depicting Trump being strangled by several pairs of hands. In English, the billboard carried the message: “Revenge is inevitable.”

Other billboards documented by the photojournalists included a parody of the American flag, with skulls replacing the stars and bombs dropping from the stripes. Another showed the White House engulfed in flames.

Anti-U.S. Messaging Builds On Old Themes

Anti-American rhetoric has been a feature of Iran’s messaging since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and imagery in Tehran has previously included a hand-painted mural that parodies the Stars and Stripes. In that mural, the stars are replaced with skulls and bombs are shown falling from the stripes, alongside text reading “Down With The U.S.A.” across the middle.

Picture courtesy of NBC

While that mural is clearly painted, the newer billboards appear more modern and, according to the reporting, have been generated with the help of artificial intelligence. The image of the White House on fire, for example, is accompanied by Persian wording stating “blood for blood” above the flames.

Photographs also show residents passing by or standing near the billboards as they go about their daily routines.

AI Used To Expand Propaganda Online

The use of artificial intelligence is not limited to outdoor displays. During the war, Iran has also relied on AI to support online propaganda efforts.

One company, Explosive Media, has published dozens of Lego-inspired videos ranging from short clips to three-minute music videos mocking Trump and his administration. Some people have described the output as “slopaganda”. Explosive Media told NBC News that it does not work for the Iranian government and that the government has no role in determining the content of the videos.

Separate developments have also featured AI-generated material shared by Trump himself, including images showing Iran’s ships and energy infrastructure being blown up and taken over by the U.S. military.

The escalation in messaging comes amid continued wartime casualty claims. U.S. Central Command said on July 18 that 17 U.S. service members have died since the start of the war with Iran. On April 20, Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency cited Abbas Masjedi, head of Iran’s Forensic Medicine Organization, as saying that 3,375 people had been killed.

Picture courtesy of NBC

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16 August 2026