Giant “Thank you Iran” billboards on the road to Beirut airport show Hezbollah trying to turn survival into a victory narrative.
Giant billboards have appeared in recent days along the main road leading to Beirut’s international airport, carrying the message: “Thank you Iran.”
The signs feature the portraits of Iran’s current supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, alongside his father, Ali Khamenei, who was eliminated last year during the war. The message is clear: Hezbollah and its supporters are trying to present the outcome of the war as an Iranian-led victory over the United States and Israel.
But behind the propaganda is a much harsher reality. Hezbollah suffered enormous losses, Iran paid a heavy military and economic price, and the Iranian-backed axis has been forced to explain destruction as triumph. The billboards are less a sign of strength than a declaration of dependence: Hezbollah is openly thanking Tehran for keeping its project alive.
