the transactivation response region (TAR) RNA stem‐loop structure, which is encoded by the 5′ leader sequence found in all HIV‐1 mRNAs. Herein, we report the rational design, synthesis, and in vitro evaluation of new RNA binding agents that were conceived in order to bind strongly and selectively to the stem‐loop structure of TAR RNA and, thus, inhibit the Tat/TAR interaction. We have demonstrated that