"Nahariya, Prepare For War:" Iran Launches New Psyops Campaign

Iranian state-affiliated media this week circulated images of new propaganda billboards erected in Tehran’s Palestine Square, openly threatening northern Israeli cities and expressing support for Hezbollah. One of the signs prominently warns, “Nahariya, prepare for war,” alongside imagery associated with Hezbollah’s military wing.

The display is part of Iran’s ongoing psychological and information warfare campaign amid the regional conflict that has followed Hamas’s October 7 massacre and Israel’s subsequent war against Iranian-backed proxies. Tehran has repeatedly sought to frame Hezbollah as the spearhead of a broader confrontation with Israel, even as it avoids direct, overt military engagement itself.

Israeli officials view the signage as another example of Iran’s efforts to inflame tensions on the northern front while maintaining plausible deniability. Hezbollah has intensified rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon over the past year, forcing mass evacuations from Israeli border communities including Nahariya and surrounding towns.

The choice of Palestine Square, a central and symbolic location frequently used for anti-Israel messaging, underscores the regime’s intent to broadcast the threat domestically and internationally. Israeli security officials continue to warn that Iran is coordinating and encouraging escalation through its regional proxies while attempting to avoid paying a direct price for confrontation.