Pro-Iran Groups Weaponize AI Memes to Troll Trump and Undermine U.S. During War

Pro-Iranian groups connected to the Iranian government have deployed artificial intelligence to create slick, culturally savvy internet memes aimed at mocking former President Donald Trump and shaping the narrative around the ongoing conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. These AI-generated memes, fluent in American English and steeped in U.S. pop culture, are part of Tehran’s broader propaganda strategy to sow discord and erode support for American military actions abroad.

According to analysts, the memes appear to come from groups with official or unofficial ties to the Iranian regime. Mahsa Alimardani, director at the human-rights group WITNESS, points to the high bandwidth and technical sophistication required to produce and distribute these videos as evidence of government cooperation. The Iranian government’s tight internet controls and crackdowns on protests make it unlikely such operations are purely grassroots.

One notable example is a viral series of “Lego”-style animated videos featuring an Iranian military commander rapping about turning U.S. bases into “beds of stone,” with Trump depicted falling into a bullseye made of “Epstein files.” These memes exploit American cultural touchstones and political controversies to ridicule Trump as out of touch, isolated, and weakened, referencing everything from his health rumors to infighting within his MAGA base.

Neil Lavie-Driver, an AI researcher at Cambridge, calls this a “propaganda war” for Iran, designed to foment enough discontent in the West to force a retreat from the conflict. The goal is clear: use limited resources and digital tools to inflict indirect damage on the U.S. and Israel, while controlling key geopolitical chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz.

While Iran’s memes target Western audiences with tailored messaging, the U.S. and Israel have not engaged in comparable AI-driven meme campaigns. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did release an AI-manipulated video urging Iranians to overthrow their government, but the U.S. response has largely been limited to domestic-facing memes and traditional broadcasts like Voice of America’s Farsi service, which has been severely downsized under Trump-era cuts.

This digital meme warfare is the latest evolution of Iran’s longstanding propaganda efforts, which have for decades sought to counter Western narratives and promote regime-friendly messages. As Nancy Snow, a propaganda scholar, notes, Iran is leveraging “popular culture against the No. 1 pop culture country” to disrupt the information battlefield.

The memes’ viral spread—racking up millions of views—underscores the growing role of AI in global information conflicts. With ceasefires offering only temporary respite, Tehran’s AI-driven trolling campaign signals a new front in the ongoing battle for hearts, minds, and geopolitical influence.