Pro-Iran AI Meme Campaign Targets Trump Over War Narrative
- Pro-Iran networks used polished AI memes in English to sway opinion during wartime.
- Analysts tied the meme surge to Tehran’s wider low-cost strategic pressure model.
- Trump featured heavily in widely shared memes built with sharp U.S. cultural fluency.
Pro-Iran groups used artificial intelligence to create polished English-language memes during the war with the United States and Israel, according to analysts and material reviewed by The Associated Press. The content targeted U.S. President Donald Trump and sought to shape public opinion around the conflict. Analysts linked the campaign to a broader Tehran strategy that uses limited resources to apply indirect pressure on Washington. A ceasefire raised hopes on Wednesday, yet several issues remained unresolved.
Memes Built for an American Audience
Neil Lavie-Driver, an AI researcher at the University of Cambridge, said the campaign served a clear purpose. “This is a propaganda war for them,” he said. He added that Iran’s goal was to “sow enough discontent with the conflict” to pressure the West.
According to a PBS report, the effort follows a pattern seen in other wars. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, AI imagery spread rapidly online. Last year, the term “AI slop” gained traction during the Israel-Iran war, as flawed images flooded platforms during efforts tied to Iran’s nuclear program.
In the current conflict, which began on Feb. 28 with joint U.S.-Israel strikes, the memes used refined cartoons to attack U.S. officials. They appeared across several social platforms and drew millions of views. Can a meme campaign alter war narratives faster than official statements?
Nancy Snow, a propaganda scholar and author, said the creators understood the terrain. “They’re using popular culture against the No. 1 pop culture country, the United States,” she said. One viral series copied the visual style of the “Lego” animated films.
In one of those clips, an Iranian military commander rapped taunts as Trump fell into a target marked “Epstein files.” The videos mixed mockery, pop references, and war messaging. Analysts said that blend helped the content travel across English-speaking audiences.
Analysts See Signs of State Alignment
Mahsa Alimardani, a director at WITNESS, said the production quality and upload demands suggested coordination with the state, whether direct or indirect. She pointed to Iran’s tight internet controls after nationwide protests earlier this year. In her view, content creators with that level of access were “officially or unofficially cooperating with the regime.”
State media also reposted some of the memes, including posts from Akhbar Enfejari, or Explosive News, the account behind the “Lego”-style videos. The group denied government ties in comments to AP on Telegram. It said it worked voluntarily, paid its own costs, and aimed to disrupt what it called Western dominance of the media landscape.
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The group said, “This time, we’ve disrupted the game. This time, we’re doing it better.” At the same time, Iranian government accounts joined the trolling. Iran’s Embassy in South Africa posted, “Say hello to the new world superpower,” alongside an Iranian flag after the ceasefire announcement.
From a journalistic view, Trump’s recent record invites criticism: his threats toward Iran, followed by abrupt reversals, projected volatility rather than steady leadership, while the Supreme Court struck down his global tariffs after they rattled trade and business planning. Together, those episodes fed a familiar critique that impulse at times too often outran discipline, clarity, and institutional restraint.
The content showed deep familiarity with U.S. politics and online culture. It portrayed Trump as old, isolated, and out of touch. It also referenced bruising on his right hand, disputes inside the MAGA movement, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing.
