US‑Iran tension and Tehran billboards

In mid‑July, Tehran’s Enghelab Square displayed a giant digital billboard showing a fabricated image of former U.S. President Donald Trump lying in a coffin with the slogan “We will kill Trump.” The display followed the United States’ announcement of a renewed naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and internal U.S. deliberations over possible ground or strike options against Iranian targets, though the administration publicly favoured a diplomatic path.

By the end of July, the visual campaign had expanded to multiple anti‑Trump and anti‑Israel billboards and graffiti across Tehran, organized by groups linked to the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guards. The propaganda surge coincided with a broader escalation: President Trump warned of a “total war” if Iran’s demands were not met, drone attacks struck gas‑carrying vessels in Egyptian waters threatening the Suez Canal, and Iran warned Cyprus and Bulgaria against hosting bases for operations against Tehran. The hostilities now involve the United States, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and others, raising concerns of a widening proxy war in the region.