A massive banner unfurled in Tehran this week has sparked discussion across the region for its unusual choice of historical imagery, depicting not just contemporary adversaries of the Islamic Republic, but reaching back millennia to include an ancient Egyptian pharaoh among Iran's enemies.
The banner, which spans a main thoroughfare in the Iranian capital, bears the phrase "dominos fall" in Farsi and displays a series of faces representing what Iranian authorities characterize as fallen or failing opponents of the Islamic Republic. Among them, according to The National, is the visage of a pharaonic-era Egyptian ruler.
The inclusion of this ancient figure reveals something deeper than contemporary geopolitical tensions. It suggests that Iranian state propaganda is framing its conflicts not merely in terms of modern nation-states, but as part of a civilizational struggle stretching back thousands of years.
Ancient Grudges, Modern Messages
In Islamic tradition, particularly Shia Islam as practiced in Iran, the Pharaoh represents the archetypal tyrant, the ultimate symbol of oppression and hubris before God. The Quranic narrative of Moses confronting Pharaoh is not simply a religious story but a political metaphor that has been deployed throughout Islamic history to characterize unjust rulers.
By placing a pharaoh on this banner alongside contemporary figures, Iranian propagandists are doing more than insulting Egypt. They are positioning the Islamic Republic as the heir to a prophetic tradition of resistance against tyranny, and suggesting that today's regional conflicts are merely the latest chapter in an eternal struggle between righteousness and oppression.
This is not the first time Iran has reached into pre-Islamic history for propaganda purposes. The Islamic Republic has a complex relationship with ancient Persia, simultaneously celebrating its pre-Islamic heritage while subordinating it to Islamic identity. The use of ancient Egyptian imagery to represent contemporary adversaries follows this pattern of weaponizing history for present-day political ends.
Regional Context and Timing
The banner's appearance comes amid escalating rhetoric between Tehran and Washington, with threats exchanged at an intensity not seen since the January 2020 assassination of General Qassem Soleimani. President Donald Trump has called for regime change in Iran, while Iranian officials have warned of setting "the world on fire" if attacked.
In this charged atmosphere, the banner serves multiple purposes. Domestically, it projects confidence, suggesting that Iran's adversaries are toppling like dominoes regardless of their threats. Regionally, it sends a message to Arab governments that Tehran views as aligned with Washington and Tel Aviv.
The specific targeting of Egyptian imagery is particularly loaded. Egypt and Iran severed diplomatic relations in 1980, after Cairo signed a peace treaty with Israel and granted asylum to the deposed Shah. Relations have remained frozen for more than four decades, despite occasional signals of potential rapprochement.
Egypt under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has positioned itself as a key Arab state maintaining cold but functional relations with Israel, while also attempting to mediate regional conflicts. From Tehran's perspective, this makes Cairo part of an axis of Arab states that have accommodated themselves to American and Israeli power in the region.
Civilizational Conflict Narratives
What makes this banner noteworthy is not its hostility, which is routine in Iranian state propaganda, but its temporal scope. By invoking ancient Egypt, Iran is suggesting that current regional alignments reflect deeper, more enduring civilizational divisions.
This framing has implications beyond propaganda. It suggests a worldview in which compromise is impossible because the conflict is not about territory, resources, or political systems, but about fundamental questions of legitimacy and historical destiny. When you cast your adversaries as modern-day pharaohs, you are not preparing for negotiation; you are preparing for confrontation.
For ordinary Iranians, many of whom are struggling with severe economic hardship under international sanctions, such grandiose historical narratives may ring hollow. But state propaganda is not primarily aimed at convincing the skeptical. It is aimed at mobilizing the committed and providing a framework for those willing to accept the government's narrative.
Egypt's Non-Response
As of this writing, the Egyptian government has not officially responded to the banner. Cairo's typical approach to Iranian provocations is strategic silence, denying Tehran the satisfaction of a reaction while avoiding escalation.
This reflects a broader Egyptian strategy of maintaining its regional role without being drawn into the rhetorical battles that Iran excels at provoking. Egypt has military and economic challenges of its own; a war of words with Tehran serves no Egyptian interest.
Yet the symbolism matters. In a region where historical narratives shape present-day politics, the invocation of pharaonic oppression to characterize modern Egypt is a claim about legitimacy and power that will not be forgotten.
In this region, today's headline is yesterday's history repeating. The banner in Tehran may be new, but the grievances it represents, and the historical memories it manipulates, stretch back millennia. Understanding these conflicts requires seeing not just what is happening now, but what never stopped happening.
