A central art gallery in Tehran has staged a new exhibition of cartoons and caricatures on the theme of Iran’s war against Israel and the US, many of which contain antisemitic imagery and symbolism.
The exhibition, titled Muzzle, was launched on Monday at the Abolfazl Aali Gallery of the Art Bureau in Tehran. A total of 82 cartoons are on display, all said to have been created during the 12 days of the Israel-Iran war.
“The works presented are more than mere caricatures. They are a reflection of the national spirit that refuses to surrender to threats or misinformation,” the exhibition statement read. “They echo the words of the leader, emphasizing that Iran does not seek conflict but will respond decisively if attacked.”
In his opening speech, the exhibition’s curator, Seyyed Masoud Shojai Tabatabai, discussed what he called the “vital role of satirical art.”
“Many artworks here are rooted in the directives of our leader,” he said in reference to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The art “emphasizes strength, resilience, and the importance of standing firm,” Tabatabai said.
A look at the cartoons
The cartoons predominantly depict Iran as a noble defender of its people, fighting against the US and Israel in a just or holy war. Both Israel and America are depicted in grotesque, exaggerated ways with antisemitic themes embedded within nearly all of the works.
One, for example, illustrates a suited arm holding a miniature figure of Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. A Star of David is drawn on the sleeve, and on the shirt are the words “America,” “EU,” and “IAEA,” suggesting that Jews and/or Israel are pulling the strings of all three.
Another cartoon by Maziar Bijani shows a building with a missile heading directly at it. Jumping from that building is an antisemitic caricature of a religious Jewish man yelling, “Help!”
Several illustrations mention Tel Aviv, and others take Jewish symbols or paraphernalia and warp them into something representative of violence.
For instance, one shows a hanukkiah, but the shape of the middle candlesticks morphs into a rocket, while another reflects a Star of David made from a snake with the words: “I love death” written next to the head. Both of these are by cartoonist Mohammad Hosein Niroumand.
All noticeably Jewish figures in the cartoons are presented in an archetypal caricatured way. One is seen throwing haphazardly knives at a map, but the knives are circling back and are about to stab him in the back, indicating that Israel/Jewish actions will have consequences.
Another two portray the conflated Jewish/Israeli figure as a disgusting-looking rat, a common antisemitic trope originating in Nazi Germany. (The infamous 1940 Nazi propaganda film, The Eternal Jew, compares Jews in a ghetto to rats in a sewer.)
Most references are noticeably about Jews in general, not Israelis in particular. This can be seen via the use of Jewish symbols, such as the hanukkiah or the Star of David, as mentioned, or caricatures of Jewish men. A couple of works contain the Israeli flag, and some depict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Just one cartoon shows a recognizable depiction of an IDF soldier. This particular image features a small soldier with a baby-like body shape, wearing a diaper.
This references the slur pertaining to the IDF as being a “diaper army,” which seemingly originated at the start of the Israel-Hamas War in 2023 when Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida said, “The IDF is perhaps the only army in the world that wears diapers, more specifically, Pampers.”
The diapered soldier in the cartoon is writing, “From the Nile to the Euphrates” – another common antisemitic trope about Jews wanting to take over the Middle East. However, he has crossed out “Euphrates” and has replaced it with “Caspian” (thus including Iran). Behind him is the figure of a man holding an ax with the Iranian flag on it, ready to kill the soldier.
Trump cartoons
The rest of the cartoons are focused on US President Donald Trump, mostly presenting him as a hypocrite (calling for peace but dropping bombs), an idiot (he is shown as the Joker or as a clown), or power hungry.
In one image, Trump is reading from a lectern, accompanied by a speech bubble saying, “History has shown that every country that has trusted us has benefited from it.” Beneath him are discarded pieces of paper reading the words “Algeria,” “Iraq 2001,” and so forth.
Another noticeable one shows Trump as a clown with his teeth biting down on one of his posts on Truth Social, saying, “Unconditional surrender.”
The artist who designed this work, the exhibit’s curator Tabatabai, wrote on Instagram, “The US president said in his remarks that Iran should ‘surrender!’ Great Iran, Iran with this history and culture... ‘surrender’ for such a country is an insult to those who know the nation of Iran.”
Several illustrations also accuse the US of committing war crimes. One depicts a book with the words, “World history by the USA,” with blood dripping from its pages.
Another, by artist Abdolmajid Ghaibi, shows the silhouette of Trump pregnant with a red devil baby holding a scarlet Star of David instead of a pitchfork, with the caption: “International terrorist, evil fetus.”
“Muzzle is not just a title,” Tabatabai said. “It is an artistic echo of the powerful response of a nation that, in the face of slander, sanctions, and aggression, stood firm with vigilance, dignity, and strength.”
“The artworks before you are an artistic reflection of the days when the enemies of this homeland – from Netanyahu to Trump – chose the language of threat and attack. Our artists, through sleepless nights and deep concern, portrayed those events with a clear and universal visual language.”