Political trust in the Islamic Republic of Iran has encountered deep and fundamental challenges in its confrontation with hostile media. Explaining how these challenges are produced, while identifying the factors that contribute to the weakening of political trust, plays a central role in formulating effective counterstrategies. Accordingly, this study aims to identify and analyze the strategies employed by hostile media to undermine political trust in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The findings, derived from interviews with experts in politics and media, reveal ten key strategies used by hostile media. These include the production and dissemination of fake news, distorted reconstruction of historical events, the use of celebrities and the primacy effect, the promotion of a consumerist lifestyle, exploitation of gender-based divides, ideological labeling, disparaging comparisons with developed countries, and the promotion of sectarian discourses. These strategies operate in a deliberate and coordinated manner, targeting political trust in the religious system and threatening legitimacy and social cohesion through the creation of political and semantic crises. The results highlight the need for comprehensive cultural, media, and educational strategies to confront these challenges and strengthen political trust in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This study lays the groundwork for future research and informed policymaking regarding the impact of hostile media on the country’s political culture.