Iran ramps up propaganda war with violent billboards

A total of 17 U.S. service members have died since the start of the war with Iran, according to the latest figures issued by U.S. Central Command on July 18. On April 20, Iran’s semiofficial Mehr News Agency quoted Abbas Masjedi, the head of Iran’s Forensic Medicine Organization, as saying that 3,375 people had been killed in the war.

Anti-American rhetoric has long been a staple of Iran’s messaging since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and for more than three decades, a hand-painted mural parodying the Stars and Stripes has watched over passing traffic in the capital, Tehran.

In place of the stars, skulls and bombs can be seen dropping from the stripes, which are emblazoned with the message “Down With The U.S.A.” across the middle.