...
By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A large billboard in Iran’s capital, Tehran, has been unveiled depicting a U.S. aircraft carrier with destroyed fighter jets on its deck and streams of blood.
The caption on the mural reads, “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.”
Newsweek has contacted the Pentagon for comment.
Read More on News
...
Why It Matters
The mural’s unveiling comes as Donald Trump has touted an increased American military presence in the Middle East, which includes the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and supporting warships, that the U.S. president said were being moved to the region “just in case” he decides to take action.
The billboard is a message to the U.S. amid heightened tensions with Iran following Trump’s threats of American intervention in a crackdown on protests in which thousands of people have been killed and tens of thousands arrested.
What To Know
The billboard was unveiled in Enghelab Square, a location in the Iranian capital for state gatherings where murals based on national occasions are displayed.
The image is of a bird’s-eye view of an aircraft carrier with destroyed fighter jets on its deck and streams of blood that trail into the water behind the ship, forming a pattern like the stripes of the U.S. flag. The caption is written in Farsi and English and says, “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind."
The expression is a warning of the consequences of rash actions, originated in the Bible's book of Hosea 8:7, which says, "For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind."
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and supporting warships arrived in the Middle East on Monday ahead of military drills. Trump said in an interview with Axios that Iran was ready to make a deal with the U.S. after the arrival of the "big armada," following his prior warnings of American intervention in protests, which have killed thousands.
The unveiling of the banner comes as the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) said on Saturday that his force is “more ready than ever, finger on the trigger.”
Trump ordered strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June 2025, and while he has not ruled out military intervention in the protests in Iran, he teased a diplomatic resolution, saying "They want to make a deal," which for the U.S. would likely include removing all enriched uranium for Iran and capping its long-range missiles.
What People Are Saying
Iranian state outlet Press TV posted on X: "New giant banner in Tehran’s Enghelab Square responds to recent US adventurism and meddlesome stance against Iran."
President Donald Trump told reporters as he boarded Air Force One on his return from the World Economic Forum in Davos, “We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely... We have an armada... heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it.”
What Happens Next
The U.S. military will conduct an exercise in the region imminently as the world waits for Trump's next move, US Central Command said in a statement without specifying when. The exercise, led by the Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), will involve rapidly moving aircraft and personnel from various locations, the command said.
Meanwhile, the EU is preparing to impose sanctions on senior members of the IRGC from Wednesday in punishment for the deadly crackdown on mass protests, AFP reported, citing EU diplomats.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines