The Islamic Republic’s Instrumental Misuse of War Ruins: Propaganda

Introduction

In the aftermath of the March 9 military strikes attributed to joint U.S.-Israeli operations, parts of residential Tehran were left visibly scarred. Rubble-strewn streets, collapsed buildings, burned-out vehicles, and grieving civilians created a stark visual landscape—one that would normally symbolize human tragedy and the devastating cost of war.

Yet in the weeks following the strikes, a different story began to unfold.

The Islamic Republic did not merely respond to the destruction—it repurposed it.

Through carefully staged public gatherings, religious ceremonies, media coverage, and symbolic displays, the ruins themselves became tools in a broader narrative strategy.