Iran Celebrates 'Trump-Burning' Amid Narrative Battle

As Iran's annual fire festival known as Chaharshanbe Suri approaches, the country's state media is calling for the event to be turned into a symbolic protest against the United States and Israel. The festival, which is celebrated on the last Wednesday before the Persian New Year, traditionally involves jumping over fires and setting off fireworks.

This year, Iranian officials are urging citizens to burn effigies of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of the celebrations. The state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) network declared the event should become a "Trump-burning" commemoration.

The call to action is the latest move in an ongoing battle of narratives between Iran and the West. Iranian authorities are seeking to harness the popular fire festival as a platform to rally anti-American sentiment and project an image of defiance against foreign adversaries.

"The enemy is seeking to overshadow this national celebration," said Hamidreza Taraghi, a conservative political analyst in Tehran. "We should use this opportunity to show our unity and our opposition to the U.S. and Israel."

The fire festival predates Islam and is a holdover from ancient Zoroastrian traditions in Persia. In recent years, authorities have tried to downplay the event's pagan roots and reframe it as an expression of Iranian nationalism.

However, the government's attempts to co-opt the festival have faced resistance from some Iranians who view the official politicization as an unwelcome intrusion on a cherished cultural tradition. Authorities have at times cracked down on unauthorized celebrations, leading to clashes with police and arrests of participants.

The battle over the fire festival underscores the Iranian regime's effort to control the narrative and project an image of unity and resilience in the face of external pressure from the U.S. and its allies. As the country grapples with economic challenges and domestic political unrest, the government is seeking to channel public sentiment through patriotic displays and anti-Western rhetoric.

Whether the public will embrace the official call to burn Trump and Netanyahu effigies remains to be seen. But the attempt to transform a cultural tradition into a political statement speaks to the Iranian government's ongoing struggle to manage its relationships with the outside world and its own citizens.