From Mottaki’s Blood-Stained Backpack to Embassy Offensives on X
WANA (Apr 23) – A blood-stained school backpack is raised before the cameras—without a single word. No explanation. No translation.
An image that does what dozens of official statements often fail to do: it captures attention instantly. This was not just a symbolic act.
A few days ago, in a meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Manouchehr Mottaki—member of Iran’s Parliament and former Foreign Minister—chose not to only stand behind the podium and deliver a conventional speech. Instead, he held up a blood-stained children’s backpack; an image that carried its message before any words were spoken.
But the words came too—minutes later.
What followed made the moment even more striking. According to accounts from the session in Antalya, Mottaki raised his voice to demand time from the assembly chair in order to respond to remarks made by Bahrain’s representative. His response was described as forceful and direct, including statements such as:
“If you (Bahrain) once again provide facilities for an attack against Iran, you will receive a response that will make you forget your name. This time, more angrily, we will sweep Bahrain’s territory into our bag.”
These moments—his insistence on taking the floor, his raised voice, and his sharp response—alongside the earlier visual act, together projected a new model of diplomacy on the global stage.
Lego, Memes, and Rap: How Iran Is Rewriting the Rules of Digital Warfare
WANA (Apr 15) – While global attention remained fixed on the battlefield, a different kind of content was quietly taking over Western timelines: a few seconds of Lego-style animation, with no narrator, no complex subtitles—yet carrying a clear, digestible message. For casual viewers, it was just another viral clip. For observers of information warfare, […]
From Speaking to Showing: Redefining a Diplomatic Pattern
For years, Iran’s diplomacy was associated with carefully calibrated language—formal statements, controlled tone, and an emphasis on maintaining a diplomatic posture often described as cautious and measured.
But recent developments suggest a shift. Instead of relying solely on words, Mottaki chose to show.
And when he did speak, he did so with a level of directness that departs from earlier patterns.
This approach has appeared before:
- Masoud Pezeshkian, at the United Nations, held up a booklet of images of Iranians killed in attacks
- Earlier, Ebrahim Raisi displayed the image of Qassem Soleimani during his UN address
A pattern is emerging: Iranian diplomacy is moving from being purely text-based to increasingly image-driven.
Pezeshkian displays images of those killed in Iran’s 12-day war at the UN. 24 Sep 2025. Social media / WANA News Agency
A War Beyond the Battlefield
The recent conflict was not limited to military confrontation. Another battle unfolded simultaneously: the battle of narratives.
In this arena, the question is not just what happened—but who tells the story, and how effectively it is seen.
This is where Iranian embassies entered the scene in a new way.
Until recently, Iranian embassies’ social media presence was largely confined to formal messages—predictable, restrained, and often overlooked. That pattern has changed.
Iranian embassies have shifted toward active content production—responding quickly, using humor, and crafting messages designed to spread.
A campaign that began with Iran’s embassy in South Africa quickly expanded to Iranian embassies in India, Zimbabwe, Sweden, Afghanistan, the UK, and Thailand.
The shift is visible in both tone and content: Posting an image of two U.S. officials alongside the cartoon characters “Pat & Mat” with the caption: “I knew I’d seen them somewhere…”
Responding to claims of a U.S. victory with: “Only in Hollywood!”
Using wordplay such as turning “Iran” into “I ran”
These are not random posts. They are designed—strategically—for visibility and engagement.
The change is also reflected in data. Within a 48-day period:
- 92 embassy-affiliated accounts
- published 8,621 tweets
- and generated over 385 million views
For a diplomatic network that previously had limited impact on social media, this represents a significant transformation.
A Shift in Tone: Moving Beyond “Smile Diplomacy”
This transformation is not only about tools—it is also about tone. In the past, Iranian diplomacy was often associated with what was sometimes called “smile diplomacy”—an approach emphasizing moderation and over-accommodation in the hope of gaining acceptance.
However, the recent conflict appears to have reshaped that image, presenting a more assertive and unfiltered version.
The emerging tone combines:
- Humor and sarcasm in digital platforms
- Direct, sometimes confrontational language in official forums
Mottaki’s blood-stained backpack, his raised voice in Antalya, and his forceful response—alongside the embassies’ sharp online messaging—all point to the same shift: diplomacy is no longer just about being accepted; it is about making an impact.
What is taking shape is not a change in political stance, but a change in method.
There is a growing recognition that in today’s world: if you are not seen, you are not heard.
As a result:
- Images are replacing lengthy statements
- Speed is replacing delay
- Reaction is replacing passivity
Iran’s diplomacy is no longer waiting for others to define its narrative. It is actively shaping it.
From a blood-stained backpack in an international forum, to sharp, timely posts on social media, everything points toward one direction: narrative-building.
And that is the other side of diplomacy—now more visible than ever.
