New Tehran Mural Is a Warning

Iranian authorities unveiled a new mural on a giant billboard in a central Tehran square on Sunday with a direct warning to the US to not attempt a military strike on the country, as American warships head to the region. The image shows a bird's-eye view of an aircraft carrier with damaged and exploding fighter planes on its flight deck, the AP reports. The deck is strewn with bodies and streaked with blood that trails into the water behind the ship to form a pattern reminiscent of the stripes of the American flag. A slogan is emblazoned across one corner: "If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind."

Tension with the US have spiked during a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests that saw thousands of people killed and tens of thousands arrested. Trump had threatened military action if Iran continued to kill peaceful protesters or carried out mass executions of those detained. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and accompanying warships are moving toward the region; President Trump has said that's "just in case" he decides to take action. Enghelab Square is used for gatherings called by the state, and authorities change its mural based on national occasions. On Saturday, the commander of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard warned that his force is "more ready than ever, finger on the trigger." There have been no further protests for days.