National identity as one of the fundamental elements of social and cultural cohesion, has consistently been a central concern of educational systems. Textbooks, particularly at the elementary level, are among the most influential tools for representing and transmitting components of national identity, given their formative role in shaping children’s minds and worldviews. Within this context, illustrations play a crucial role, as they convey cultural and social values in an indirect, lasting, and comprehensible manner for young learners. This study was conducted with the aim of examining the representation of national identity components in the illustrations of Persian language textbooks (Bekhanim series) used in Iranian elementary schools during the 1390s SH, employing Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis as the theoretical framework. The main research questions were: which elements of national identity are most prominently represented in the illustrations of these textbooks, and which specific dimensions receive greater emphasis in the selected sample? Data analysis was carried out across Fairclough’s three levels—description, interpretation, and explanation. The findings indicated that religious values, social institutions, moral concepts, and cultural-historical symbols occupied the most prominent positions in the visual content. Conversely, components such as cultural diversity, ethnic identities, modern or global dimensions of national identity, and especially the Persian language appeared with much less frequency. Notably, Persian, as a core pillar of national identity, was rarely represented visually; rather, its presence was largely confined to the textual and written sections of the textbooks. With regard to modes of representation, the study revealed a developmental distinction across grade levels. In the first through third grades, identity components were represented directly and explicitly in the illustrations, whereas in the fourth through sixth grades they were increasingly conveyed in symbolic and indirect forms. Within Fairclough’s three-dimensional model, this shift was interpreted as aligned with pedagogical goals and the gradual development of students’ symbolic and abstract comprehension. Overall, the results demonstrated a strong alignment between textual and visual strategies in reinforcing the official national-religious discourse. Both forms of representation worked in parallel to reproduce the dominant cultural and ideological order. While this coherence enhances consistency in the transmission of identity-related messages, it also highlights certain limitations. Specifically, the findings suggest that the representation of Iran’s genuine cultural and linguistic diversity has been underemphasized, and the imagery tends to privilege a singular, official narrative of identity. This limited inclusivity reflects a relatively static and non-dynamic approach to cultural representation in educational policy, privileging stability and uniformity over plurality and flexibility. The study concludes that while the textbooks succeed in reinforcing a cohesive national-religious discourse through integrated textual and visual content, there remains a critical need to revise the approach to allow for a more balanced portrayal of diverse identity components. Such an adjustment would not only reflect the cultural and linguistic plurality of Iranian society more accurately but would also contribute to fostering broader inclusivity and adaptability in the educational representation of national identity.