Pro-Iran AI Memes Target Trump to Shape War Narrative and Exploit U.S. Divisions

Iran-backed groups have unleashed a wave of AI-generated memes designed to troll former President Donald Trump and shape the narrative around the escalating conflict involving the U.S. and Israel. According to reporting by PBS News and the Associated Press, these memes are not just random internet noise — they are carefully crafted propaganda tools fluent in American culture, aiming to deepen divisions and discredit U.S. leadership.

The campaign began after joint U.S.-Israel strikes in late February 2026, with pro-Iran accounts flooding social media platforms with memes that mock Trump’s age, health rumors, and political isolation. One striking example uses the style of the Lego animated movies to portray Trump falling into a bullseye made of “Epstein files,” referencing the scandal-ridden financier’s government investigations. These memes have garnered millions of views, indicating widespread reach even if their precise impact on public opinion remains unclear.

Experts like Neil Lavie-Driver from the University of Cambridge describe this as a “propaganda war” for Iran, aiming to sow enough discontent in Western societies to force political concessions. Mahsa Alimardani of WITNESS highlights the high level of sophistication and internet bandwidth required to produce and distribute these memes inside Iran, suggesting official or unofficial government cooperation despite Tehran’s harsh internet crackdowns amid domestic protests.

The pro-Iran meme makers, including a group called Akhbar Enfejari (“Explosive News”), claim to operate independently, framing their work as a grassroots effort to disrupt Western media dominance. Nevertheless, the content’s polish and strategic messaging point to a long-standing Iranian government program to promote anti-U.S. and anti-Israel narratives.

While Iran’s digital propaganda machine is firing on all cylinders, U.S. and Israeli officials appear less engaged in similar AI-driven meme warfare, possibly due to differing strategic priorities or operational constraints. Iran’s ability to blend old-school propaganda with cutting-edge AI tools reveals a new dimension of information warfare designed to exploit American cultural touchstones and political fault lines.

This campaign underscores the urgent need for vigilance against foreign influence operations that weaponize emerging technologies to undermine democratic discourse and accountability. As Iran leverages AI to troll Trump and manipulate the war narrative, the U.S. faces a complex battle not just on the ground but in the digital realm where perception and misinformation can shape policy and public sentiment.