Iran Releases Controversial AI Propaganda Video Targeting Trump

Iranian state media has released a provocative AI-generated propaganda video depicting President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Lego-like figures in what appears to be a direct response to the escalating conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel.

The video, posted by Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, comes nearly two weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes against Iran that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The animated clip shows Trump and Netanyahu standing beside a Lego version of Satan while examining a folder labeled “Jeffrey Epstein File,” an apparent reference to the controversial case that has drawn renewed attention in American politics.

In the propaganda piece, the Lego Trump character is shown pushing a red button that launches a missile striking a school, seemingly alluding to the devastating attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh all-girls elementary school in Iran’s Minab city. According to Iranian authorities, the attack killed 175 people, including 151 children between the ages of seven and twelve.

While Iran has formally accused the United States and Israel of responsibility for the school bombing, both nations have denied involvement. During a brief press conference over the weekend, President Trump explicitly rejected any U.S. role, stating: “No, in my opinion and based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.” Trump further claimed, “We think it was done by Iran because they’re very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever.”

When asked about the president’s comments, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the incident was “certainly” under investigation, adding that “the only side that targets civilians is Iran.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has taken a dramatically different stance, claiming the assault on the school would “never be erased from the historical memory of our nation.”

The propaganda video also portrays Iran’s retaliatory attacks following the U.S.-Israeli strikes, including missile launches targeting Tel Aviv, British forces in Cyprus, and American vessels in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, has become a critical flashpoint in the conflict. Approximately 25% of global seaborne oil trade passes through this narrow waterway, along with significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers. Traffic through the strait has declined sharply since the conflict began, triggering global price increases for oil, energy, and food.

Tensions in the region escalated further on March 11 when maritime authorities confirmed three cargo vessels in the strait were hit by “unknown projectiles.” That same day, the U.S. military reported destroying 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels amid intelligence suggesting Iran had begun placing explosive devices in the waterway.

CNN has reported that Iran deployed several dozen mines in the strait over the past week and possesses the capability to deploy hundreds more. President Trump responded on Truth Social, warning that “if Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait… we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!” He further threatened that failure to comply would result in military consequences “at a level never seen before.”

Iranian Revolutionary Guard officials have declared they will not allow “even one litre of oil” to leave the region if U.S.-Israeli attacks continue, suggesting the potential for prolonged disruption to global energy markets if the conflict persists.