Tehran’s annual International Book Fair is frequently promoted by Iranian authorities as a leading global event for literature and free exchange of ideas. Yet, a close examination of participation data and event content indicates a different reality—one shaped by Iran’s ideological ambitions, censorship, and regional politics, rather than genuine internationalism.
Official Iranian reports boast involvement by around 2,600 publishers at the fair, making it one of the largest book events in the region. However, only a small fraction—approximately 50 publishers—originate from outside Iran. Most of these foreign publishers are from Muslim-majority states with close political and ideological ties to the Islamic Republic, with Iraq alone accounting for 15. This overwhelmingly Iranian and regionally-aligned participant roster has fueled questions about the event’s international identity and purpose.
The fair’s structural character reflects Iran’s broader approach to cultural affairs. Foreign publishers, particularly from Europe, the United States, or Israel, are notably absent—excluded either by restrictive Iranian laws or discouraged by a hostile environment and customs regulations. Well-documented censorship policies further ensure that only books aligning with the government’s worldview or advancing its ideological goals are permitted entry. Works critical of the Islamic Republic, supportive of pluralism, or authored from Israeli or Jewish perspectives are systematically barred, as are topics like women’s rights, secular democracy, or LGBTQ issues.
In practice, the fair serves as a platform for what Iranian authorities refer to as “cultural resistance.” This includes promoting literature that glorifies the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—an entity designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and other Western governments—and extolling militant groups within Iran’s regional network of proxies. Antisemitic publications and those denying historical events such as the Holocaust have appeared at the fair in the past, underscoring the government’s deployment of cultural exhibitions as soft-power tools in its ideological war against the West and especially against Israel.
Speeches and appearances by senior government officials and IRGC commanders are a regular feature. These events are used not only to showcase supposed cultural vibrancy but also to broadcast political unity in the struggle against what Tehran describes as Western and Zionist ‘cultural invasion.’ For many foreign participants, engagement comes with strings attached: their catalogs are screened by Iranian censors, and publishers risk blacklisting if they fail to comply with local restrictions.
The focus on publishers from Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Afghanistan reflects Tehran’s priorities across the so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’—the Iranian-backed alliance that includes terror proxies such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen. This strategic alliance is not purely military; it is also cultural, with Iran aiming to export propaganda and foster ideological allegiance throughout the Middle East. The book fair is just one element of this coordinated effort, helping to align cultural messages across Iran’s regional partnerships.
This approach stands in stark contrast to the openness of literary events in democratic countries, including Israel, which welcome publishers of diverse backgrounds—even from states with strained relations. Iran’s model, by contrast, exemplifies a closed cultural ecosystem where the flow of literature is subordinate to political priorities and expressions of dissent are stifled.
The careful curation and ideological vetting of content at the Tehran fair are therefore symptomatic of the regime’s insular governance. Human rights groups and cultural organizations have repeatedly criticized the fair for reinforcing censorship and helping suppress minority or opposition perspectives. The systematic exclusion of Israeli and Western publishers not only highlights official enmity but also demonstrates the instrumentalization of cultural diplomacy in Iran’s broader self-defense narrative against external and perceived internal threats.
Looking beyond Iran’s borders, the fair’s realignment from a platform for intercultural exchange to a node for regional solidarity underlines the deep relationship between Iranian cultural policy and its strategic posture. The promotion of the IRGC and its affiliates through literature and the active cultivation of cultural ties with regional actors support Iran’s geopolitical objectives—both in opposing Israel and projecting Iranian influence via proxy networks across the Middle East.
Western media, at times, have mistakenly described the Tehran event as open and globally representative. This reporting often neglects the tangible constraints—censorship, exclusion, and the use of culture as ideological warfare—that define the fair’s true character. Such imprecise portrayals risk reinforcing regime-driven narratives that obscure the fair’s actual functions and consequences.
In conclusion, the Tehran International Book Fair remains a prominent event, but its international branding masks an overtly domestic and politically controlled reality. The of lack of genuine global participation, its promotion of regime-backed organizations, and its confining of cultural engagement to ideologically approved circles reveal the fair as a mirror of Iran’s insular governance and aggressive regional strategy. Until Tehran allows free cultural exchange and open engagement with a wider range of international voices, claims of internationalism will remain misleading. Events like the Tehran book fair remind the world of the ongoing struggle for freedom of expression and the enduring threats posed by regimes that weaponize culture against their adversaries—especially Israel and its democratic allies.
