This paper proposes a new multistage system for image encryption and decryption • The system enables secure image transmission through an OFDM system • The system achieved a UACI of around 34, NPCR over 99.4, and CC under 0.05 • Statistical analysis demonstrated the encryption system is secure and robust.Data security is vital if transferred over a wireless network or stored on a personal computer. The essential properties of chaos, such as initial state sensitivity and unpredictability, make it a crucial candidate for encryption applications. This paper proposes a 3D chaotic map and a cascaded S-Box that can be combined to get a high-efficiency and complex cryptographic algorithm. The first stage is ciphering using a 3D cat map, the second stage is an S-box based on a 3D Henon map, and the third stage is another ciphering stage using a 3D Henon map. This study combines various encryption techniques, including cipher algorithms and substitution boxes, with the OFDM system to establish a secure image transmission over a Rayleigh fading channel. BPSK modulation is used to ensure the simplicity of the proposed system. Three grey images are used, Lena, the camera-man, and Pepper, for testing and comparing with previous works. Security analysis is performed to evaluate the quality and security of the encryption process.For image transmission evaluation, the PSNR and BER are utilized. According to the statistical results, the proposed image encryption scheme is secure and efficient. The comparison with the previous studies shows that this system is competitive with previous works.