Iran is using social media to spread information about the war with the United States and publicly criticize President Donald Trump.
AI-generated videos and memes are being used to inspire anti-U.S. and anti-war sentiment online, with content reaching an audience of millions. It is the first conflict in which AI content has been used in war efforts over information, per experts.
The first war using AI-generated videos for online propaganda
Trump has normalized online trolling in global politics, University of Oregon media ethics professor Whitney Phillips told NPR. This would explain why Iran is using similar methods during the war with the U.S.
“This is the language in which Trump speaks, and so this is the language in which world leaders are speaking to him,” she said.
Iran has posted AI-generated videos, memes and out-of-context footage in its war of information. One example is a Lego-inspired video showing Iranian soldiers fighting against Trump and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu. It depicts Trump gambling in its war efforts, lying to the U.S. population, and being followed by various representations of the Epstein files.
“The propaganda includes memes and cartoons that aren’t meant to be perceived as real but are very good at spreading political messaging,” Darren Linvill, the co-director of Clemson’s Media Forensics Hub, told France 24. “The deepfakes portray a version of reality that [seems] genuine and often paint Iran as more successful in the conflict. Both are being shared widely among communities that are critical of the war and hungry for this messaging.”
@theroguednc A new Lego-inspired video has been released by Explosive News Team in Iran.
♬ original sound – RogueDNC
These social media posts have been published en masse by Iran shortly after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on the country in late February. Posts were relayed by state and media outlets, as well as dozens of social media accounts affiliated with Iran, according to France 24 and a study conducted by Clemson University.
“This conflict is the first time we’ve really seen AI-generated content be used very intentionally to sow chaos and confusion around what’s actually happening on the ground,” Melanie Smith, an expert in information operations at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, told France 24.
What is also new in this war of information is that Iran’s war of information targets Americans.
“They are not used to seeing the messages of a country that the U.S. government is bombing that are directed toward them. This is quite new,” Emerson Brooking, the director of strategy at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, told NPR.
Why is Iran using AI and memes in its war of information?
Experts say Iran is using such methods because AI videos “travel fast and plug into emotions that people already have,” Tine Munk, a senior lecturer in criminology at Nottingham Trent University and a digital warfare specialist, told France 24.
“They create a lot of noise, even when they are so obviously fake because it is easy to communicate complex ideas through visual storytelling using these shared cultural references,” Munk said.
Studies have shown that the U.S.’s involvement in the war isn’t popular among Americans. US public opinion is “overwhelmingly” against the war in Iran, according to a poll conducted by Ipsos. The study shows 58% percent oppose US military strikes, while 78% are against the idea of American boots on the ground.
“The Iranian regime wants to make the conflict as painful as possible for the US and Israel, and if they can target what support Trump and [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu have, it may ultimately shorten the war,” Linvill said, per France 24.
Over 1,500 civilians have been killed in Iran since the start of the war, as well as at least 14 U.S. servicemen, according to Iranian health officials. Brooking notes that the social media content being used during the war does not reflect real experiences.
“It’s this content and commodification of war – war becoming part of the attention economy – which I think is another very weird, discomfiting experience that so many of us are going through and feeling right now,” he said, according to NPR.
