Weaponising the Arbaeen pilgrimage as a tool for ideological mobilisation against Israel

What it claims

The Arbaeen religious pilgrimage is portrayed as a global manifesto of unity against “Israeli aggression” and a platform to legitimise the “axis of resistance”. Through religious symbols and mass events, the narrative promotes the idea of an inevitable victory over Israel under Iranian leadership.

Target audience

Examples (paraphrased)

We paraphrase rather than quote: propaganda's exact wording is built to spread, so we carry the claim and not the craft. Each example cites the post it came from.

• Millions of pilgrims in Karbala are united by a common goal — the struggle against Israeli tyranny and support for the Palestinian resistance.

  Press TV (Telegram), 4 Aug 2026

  t.me/presstv/201573

• Iran has effectively already won the war against Israel and the US, and the Arbaeen pilgrimage is proof of the global defeat of the Zionist project.

  Press TV (Telegram), 4 Aug 2026

  t.me/presstv/201528

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Goal

To demoralise Israeli society by creating an illusion of total international isolation and a religious “holy war” aimed at the destruction of the state.

Techniques used

• Appeal to Fear / PrejudicePortraying millions of pilgrims as a unified force seeking the “liberation of Palestine” and the destruction of Israel.
• Loaded LanguageUsing terms like “US-Israeli aggression”, “occupation”, and the “flame of resistance” to label Israel as an absolute evil.

The real grievance it exploits

The narrative exploits deep-seated Israeli anxieties regarding regional escalation and the threat from pro-Iranian groups on multiple fronts simultaneously.

How to counter

• Technique exposure: Notice how a purely religious holiday is used by Iranian state media to create an image of a “million-strong army” supposedly threatening Israel, aiming to intimidate the civilian population.

Sources (all time)

• Press TV (Telegram)Tier 193,510 subscribers
  6 posts · 4 Aug 2026

  • 4 Aug · t.me/presstv/201573
  • 4 Aug · t.me/presstv/201565
  • 4 Aug · t.me/presstv/201554
  • 4 Aug · t.me/presstv/201551
  • 4 Aug · t.me/presstv/201531
  • 4 Aug · t.me/presstv/201528