TEHRAN -- Anti-American propaganda is a common sight on the streets of the Iranian capital, but authorities have gone a step further with their latest effort -- a life-size jail cell with an actor playing US President Donald Trump languishing inside. The 3D art installation is proving a hit with locals, who have been stopping to take selfies as well as hurl abuse at Trump, who is accused by Tehran of war crimes during the Middle East war. Since the beginning of the war that began with American and Israeli strikes in February, the Islamic republic has ramped up propaganda operations, with several pieces of artwork going viral. In their latest campaign, a prison cell is suspended several stories high in Tajrish Square in an upscale neighbourhood of north Tehran. Inside is an actor dressed in a dark suit and red tie and wearing a prosthetic mask to look like the US president, as he paces around the cell or clutches its bars. A screen set up nearby shows messages denouncing US “war crimes”. Some locals were having fun with the installation, with one passerby jokingly telling Trump: “Don’t worry, we’ll pay your bail and get you out!” Others used it as a target for their anger, with one teenager shouting: “Trump, this time we’re going to kill you!” Tehran’s municipal authorities, which are behind the campaign, said they want to remind the capital’s residents of Iran’s demands for justice. Iran has portrayed Trump as a war criminal and called for revenge since the conflict began with US-Israeli strikes that killed the country’s supreme leader. Tehran accuses the US president of deliberately targeting civilian sites, including a school and a wedding ceremony, killing dozens of women and children. Media outlets close to Iranian authorities have said the latest propaganda installation is designed to operate continuously, day and night, seven days a week.
