Full Breakdown
Iranian School Textbooks Promote Anti-U.S. and Anti-Israel Content
4/26/2026, 1:09:28 AM
Iran Distributes Textbooks with War-Themed Content Targeting the United States and Israel
In early 2026, PDFs of new Iranian school textbooks titled “We Defend Our Iran” appeared on the Ministry of Education’s website. The books are distributed to elementary, middle and high-school students and contain graphic anti-U.S. and anti-Israel imagery, including missiles aimed at a Star of David and a depiction of President Donald Trump with missile marks.
Background & Context
These textbooks were issued after Israel’s 12-day aerial campaign against Iran in 2025 and after the United States carried out Operation Midnight Hammer, striking Iran’s nuclear sites at Isfahan, Fordow and Natanz. IMPACT-se describes the timing as a response to Iran’s perceived humiliation in that conflict.
Key Actors
The Israeli nonprofit Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) obtained the PDFs and publicized the content. Its chief executive, Marcus Sheff, provided analysis. The Iranian Ministry of Education is the issuing authority for the textbooks.
Content Details
The lesson asks students to list missile names, meanings and speeds, then compute travel time to Israeli cities. Images depict rockets aimed at a Star of David, a missile in Trump’s cheek, an Iranian boot crushing an Israeli city, and references to United States as the “Great Satan.” The textbook also cites a 2016 incident in which ten Navy personnel were arrested by Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Why It Matters
The inclusion of hostile imagery and missile-calculation exercises suggests an effort to normalize armed conflict against the United States and Israel among Iranian youth. Observers warn such curricula may reinforce antagonistic attitudes, hinder diplomatic engagement and raise the risk of future regional escalation.
Official Statements & Responses
Marcus Sheff said the textbooks demonstrate a deliberate effort to promote violence, antisemitism and hostility toward the United States, adding that “the threat is real and the evidence is in the classroom.” No Iranian response has been reported.
Criticism & Opposition
Monitoring groups have labeled the books “vile” and “disturbing,” arguing they constitute indoctrination. The 2021 EU study that found Palestinian textbooks containing violent antisemitic propaganda is cited as evidence of a broader regional pattern.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Verification relies on PDFs obtained by IMPACT-se; Iranian authorities have not publicly commented on the content, and independent analysis has not been documented.
Verbatim Quotes
- “These textbooks show a deliberate effort to promote violence, antisemitism, and hostility toward the United States… the threat is real and the evidence is in the classroom,” — Marcus Sheff, CEO, IMPACT-se
- “The names of several powerful Iranian missiles are written below: Research the meaning of their names.” — Excerpt from the textbook
- “3 The textbook shows a giant Iranian boot crushing an Israeli city.” — Excerpt from the textbook
Ongoing Monitoring
IMPACT-se and other education-rights NGOs say they will continue to review Iranian curricula for additional hostile material and report findings to international bodies.
