We spoke to the man making viral Lego-style AI videos for Iran. Experts say it’s powerful propaganda

Iran’s Use of AI-Generated Videos Styled Like Lego Animations Has Sparked Debate

At first glance, these videos appear to be scenes from a Lego movie, but with more intense visuals and rapid pacing. They feature elements such as dying children, fighter jets, and US President Donald Trump, yet are crafted as pro-Iran propaganda. For the BBC podcast Top Comment, we interviewed a representative of Explosive Media, a key producer of such clips. He requested to be called Mr. Explosive, describing himself as a skilled social media operator who initially denied ties to the Iranian government. Previously, the outlet claimed independence, but during our conversation, he admitted the regime is a “customer”—a term he had not publicly affirmed before.

The primary message of these videos is Iran’s resistance against the United States, portrayed as a global oppressor. Despite their garish and unsubtle nature, they have generated widespread engagement, with millions sharing and commenting. In one clip, Trump is shown tumbling through a storm of “Epstein file” documents while rap lyrics declare, “the secrets are leaking, the pressure is rising.” Another video depicts George Floyd under a policeman’s boot, accompanied by the assertion that Iran is “standing here for everyone your system ever wronged.”

“Slopaganda”—a term coined in an academic paper last year as a play on ‘AI slop’—fails to capture the potency of this “highly sophisticated” content, according to Dr. Emma Briant, a leading propaganda expert. She notes that AI-generated clips have amassed hundreds of millions of views during the conflict.

During our video call, Mr. Explosive was silhouetted against red and green lights, the colors of Iran’s flag. On his desk, a green-feathered helmet linked to Shia warrior Husayn ibn Ali was visible, symbolizing recurring themes in their work. He explained that his team, consisting of fewer than ten members, uses Lego-style graphics because they are “a world language.” Iranian and Russian state media frequently share these videos, reaching millions of followers.

When asked about the Epstein files in their videos, Mr. Explosive said they were included to highlight the “kind of confrontation” between Iran, which “seeks truth and freedom,” and “those who align with cannibals.” This refers to the theory that the Epstein files connect the Trump administration to cannibalism, though no evidence supports it. The videos also contain factual errors, such as depicting an Iranian military capture of a US pilot. US officials confirmed the airman was rescued by special forces on April 4, but Mr. Explosive dismissed this, claiming, “Possibly there was no lost pilot, no rescue operation. Their goal was to steal uranium from Iran.”

“Only 13% of what Mr. Trump says is based on facts,” he added, suggesting the video amplifies an alternative narrative.

One US-based TikTok creator, @newswithsteph, praised the Lego-style clips as “shockingly accurate,” noting they exposed a recent US pilot mission as a “special ops mission for uranium” rather than a rescue. AI has allowed Iran and others to bypass traditional media, directly engaging Western audiences with content tailored to their cultural context. Dr. Tine Munk, a cyber warfare expert at Nottingham Trent University, labeled Iran’s approach “defensive memetic warfare,” a strategy to counter US rhetoric. Since their debut in early 2025, these videos have grown in popularity, now showcasing highly specific Gulf locations—power stations, airports, and industrial sites—being destroyed by Iranian missiles.