A graphic pushes political vengeance into public view.
Tehran, July 2026
Iranian ultraconservative newspaper Hamshahri has published an illustration portraying several Western leaders as potential targets of retaliation for the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appear at the front of the composition wearing prison uniforms and marked with crosshairs. The newspaper states that those represented should face consequences for Khamenei’s death. The image brings Iran’s rhetoric of revenge into a more explicit and personalized form.
The graphic also includes French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Their inclusion reflects Iranian accusations that Western governments supported, facilitated or failed to prevent the military attacks against the country. Trump and Netanyahu remain the central figures because Tehran considers the United States and Israel directly responsible for the operation that killed Khamenei. There is currently no indication that Iranian authorities formally approved the newspaper’s illustration as an official government list.
The publication appeared after Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son and successor, issued his first written message following his father’s funeral. He declared that revenge represented the will of the Iranian people and claimed that Iran had prepared a list of individuals who could become targets. Mojtaba Khamenei did not disclose any names, leaving uncertainty over whether the newspaper possessed internal information or produced its own interpretation. The distinction is significant because a media illustration does not by itself constitute proof of an authorized assassination plan.
Ali Khamenei died on February 28 during a joint US and Israeli attack launched on the first day of the war against Iran. His death ended decades of leadership and accelerated a succession process while the country remained under military and political pressure. Mojtaba Khamenei subsequently assumed the position of supreme leader and placed retaliation at the center of his first public message. Iran has also accused several European countries of indirectly assisting the campaign by allowing American military aircraft to use their airspace.
The newspaper’s publication coincides with reports that Israeli intelligence warned Washington about an alleged Iranian plan to assassinate Trump. CNN and The Wall Street Journal reported the warning through unnamed sources familiar with the matter, although the supporting intelligence has not been made public. Trump responded by threatening Iran with a massive military strike should any attempt be made against his life. The combination of intelligence reports, military warnings and assassination imagery has increased tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Hamshahri is considered close to Iran’s political establishment, giving its publication greater significance than an isolated social media post. However, proximity to the government does not automatically convert its editorial content into official state policy. The image may serve as domestic propaganda, psychological pressure or a warning aimed at foreign governments, while preserving ambiguity about Iran’s real intentions. Its impact lies in transforming a general promise of revenge into a recognizable catalogue of political figures.
The episode illustrates how visual propaganda can intensify an international crisis without providing clear evidence of an operational decision. Western security agencies are likely to examine the names and symbols carefully, particularly after Mojtaba Khamenei confirmed the existence of an undisclosed list. At the same time, treating every hostile publication as an official directive could accelerate an already dangerous cycle of threats and military responses. The uncertainty surrounding the graphic has therefore become part of its strategic power.
Contra la propaganda, memoria. / Against propaganda, memory.