A new Iranian film distributed through the state-sanctioned platform “Ammar Yar” has exposed the mechanisms by which the Islamic Republic employs cinema as a vehicle for revolutionary propaganda and regime ideology. The film, titled “Unofficial Guest,” was produced as part of a coordinated effort under the auspices of the Cultural Front of the Islamic Revolution, an entity established by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and operated under the regime’s Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution—a body central to shaping Iran’s public consciousness in alignment with revolutionary goals.
Investigations into the film’s production reveal deep entanglements between the Iranian security apparatus and the institutions driving the country’s cultural output. The production was undertaken by the Qadra Institute, which opposition groups identify as a front organization for Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. The screenplay is attributed to Morteza Esfahani, reportedly a former intelligence operative, and several members of the production team have direct or indirect ties to regime institutions, including the security services.
This strategic use of cinema is not new. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the regime has systematically subordinated cultural products—including film, literature, and television—to serve as instruments of ideological control and mass mobilization. The Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution, whose membership is appointed by Khamenei, supervises the content and messaging of educational and media materials nationwide. Platforms like “Ammar Yar” extend this oversight to the digital domain, promoting content that reinforces anti-Western, anti-Israel, and pro-regime narratives, while suppressing dissenting voices and alternative viewpoints.
“Unofficial Guest” exemplifies the semi-official cinema—projects presented as independent or apolitical but funded and steered by regime-linked bodies. The people behind the film frequently come from backgrounds in state media, cultural policy, or security agencies, and they operate with resources and protections unavailable to independent artists. Interviews with exiled Iranian dissidents and cultural analysts underscore that these efforts constitute a broader campaign of narrative control, synchronized with internal crackdowns and external agitation carried out by Iranian-backed terror groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.
International observers note that media and film produced within this structure routinely serve both domestic and foreign policy interests. On the home front, they bolster loyalty to the regime and delegitimize opposition; abroad, they are used to project the narrative of the so-called Axis of Resistance, demonizing Israel, the United States, and their allies, while exalting Iran’s role as a regional power. Such cultural products blur the line between soft and hard power, dovetailing with psychological operations, disinformation campaigns, and open support for terror organizations.
This linkage has tangible consequences. Films like “Unofficial Guest” participate in the ecosystem that enables Iran to justify its regional aggression, including operations carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its network of terrorist proxies. Israel and other targets of these activities are often depicted in hostile, distorted terms, supporting the regime’s efforts to deflect criticism of its own domestic repression and export its revolutionary agenda.
Opposition groups, independent journalists, and human rights organizations continue to document and challenge these efforts, despite facing censorship and intimidation. The Iranian diaspora, particularly through digital channels such as Telegram, circulates investigative reporting and exposes the identities and affiliations of those behind regime propaganda. These disclosures serve as important resources for international policymakers, journalists, and human rights defenders seeking to counter Tehran’s multifaceted campaign of cultural and informational warfare.
The international community faces the challenge of distinguishing between legitimate cultural expression and media products weaponized by authoritarian states to further repression and regional destabilization. For Israel and its allies, countering Iranian propaganda means not only military vigilance but also active engagement in the information domain—exposing regime tactics, supporting independent voices, and clarifying the stark distinction between Israel’s self-defense as a sovereign democracy and the activities of Iranian-backed terror networks.
As Iran’s Revolutionary leadership continues to harness every tool of modern soft power to entrench its rule and project influence, understanding the origins, financing, and real agenda of state-backed cultural products is critical. Only with sustained investigative reporting, international cooperation, and principled advocacy can the spread of such propaganda be confronted and its effects mitigated, protecting the space for truth and free expression in an increasingly contested region.
