The following analysis focuses exclusively on communication strategy, without any political implications, for the use of human enthusiasts and AI detectors, who have been devouring my articles for months.
Since the Iran War began on February 28, 2026, digital media have become the battleground for a new form of propaganda, conducted by both sides with the aid of a new tool: generative artificial intelligence.
The Iranian propaganda created by the mysterious collective Explosive Media shook global public opinion by leveraging this new tool in a distinctive way, depicting the war in the form of Lego-style cartoons.
The collective, as reported by the BBC, initially claimed to be "totally independent"; only to later admit that the Iranian regime is their customer. According to Al Jazeera, they are ten young people aged between 19 and 25.
Quantifying the overall reach of their campaign is tricky.
In March, according to RRM Canada (a G7 initiative to defend democracy against propaganda and disinformation, thus presumably hostile to Iran), Explosive Media’s videos gained significant traction, particularly on X and TikTok.
In the first month alone, they reportedly reached 200 million users worldwide, plus coverage from many news outlets (BBC, CNN, New York Times...).
A remarkable success: let us analyze its main ingredients.
1. Lego bricks become propaganda's Trojan horse
The use of a Western symbol has made inroads into the minds and hearts of the European and North American public, a considerable part of which (not just on the Left) fiercely opposes new military operations and disbelieves the rhetoric of the war on terror and exporting democracy.
The global fame of Lego turns them into a universal language, capable of reaching even those who are not normally interested in politics.
2. Messages are easy to digest on social media
Explosive Media plays in a field owned by American tech companies: social media.
Iranian propaganda carves its way through this hostile territory by dominating its mechanics: short videos, fast-paced editing, strong and relatable emotions (who wouldn't feel empathy for innocent children?), and clear references to current events (Epstein scandal, the FIFA World Cup, Luigi Mangione trial).
Abstract and ideological content is set aside in favor of a fast-moving, concrete, and harsh narrative, albeit cushioned by Lego's rounded shapes and warm colors.
Unsurprisingly, the campaign achieved its highest view peaks on TikTok: the Chinese-owned platform par excellence for short, fast-paced videos.
US platforms such as YouTube have removed several Iran-based accounts.
3. The country speaks for itself
In past decades, war reporting (Vietnam, the Middle East, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yugoslavia...) was driven by mainstream media, primarily TV.
Different voices coexisted in politics, journalism and culture. However, the official versions - influenced by governments and often steeped in cultural biases - prevailed.
Now, thanks to digital media, countries outside the Western bloc can tell their stories firsthand and reach international audiences directly, without the deforming filter of mass media.
4. Animation allows for hyperbole
By turning the war into a cartoon, reality can be narrated with blatant exaggerations.
The devastating consequences that Iranian Legos inflict on their enemies far exceed the real ones: an acceptable overstatement in a cartoon that would hardly be plausible in "realistic" footage.
Back in June 2025, Explosive Media had already produced videos about the 12-Day War using Farsi and featuring "real" people and environments: they went unnoticed.
5. Implicit storytelling softens the horror
One of the earliest and most moving videos is dedicated to the tragedy in Minab, southern Iran: on February 28, a US Tomahawk missile destroyed a local school, causing at least 168 deaths.
The video does not show the incident directly, but conveys it through scene cuts (the school during a normal school day; the incoming missile; the school reduced to rubble) and a pink backpack amid the ruins: a silent yet eloquent reminder.
We don't see the bombing: it would be terrifying. But we are aware of it.
We don't see the dead: it would be terrible. But what happened is crystal clear.
The message strikes powerfully. However, the Lego iconography, with its nostalgic touch of childhood, mitigates the narrative's brutality.
6. The Ayatollah regime stays in the background
Religious leaders almost never appear. Instead, we see ordinary people, weeping families, children and teachers killed by bombs, and soldiers eager for revenge.
The propaganda does not showcase the regime, whose international reputation is compromised (we all remember the protests bloodily suppressed in January); rather, it highlights everyday people we can identify with.
The soldiers' tears send a meaningful message: they are not fighting for the regime, but to avenge innocent lives.
7. The enemy is demystified through ridicule
Even amid the tragedy, Explosive Media unleashes a mocking irony targeting American President Donald Trump and his administration.
Sarcasm dismantles imperialist rhetoric, ridicules hegemonic ambitions, and flips the famous Trump slogan - Make America Great Again - accusing him of prioritizing Israeli interests.
8. Anti-oppressor rhetoric bonds diverse populations
Explosive Media evokes multiple themes from US history: the murder of George Floyd, the tortures at Abu Ghraib, the massacres in Vietnam and Gaza, the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the genocide of Native Americans...
Iranian missiles are presented as the vengeance of those who, in different regions and periods, fell victim to the American system, including figures like Malcolm X or Rachel Corrie.
Iranian propaganda builds a united front among peoples and cultures to break the regime's isolation, winking at the pacifist and anti-imperialist segments of Western societies.
9. Timelines and budgets are drastically cut
Producing a TV commercial requires hundreds of thousands of dollars. Executing an entire campaign with AI demands advanced software and ambitious talent, but at incomparably lower costs and with immediate turnarounds.
Governments, political parties, and companies with limited technical and financial resources now have a new powerful opportunity to make their voices heard.
AI is neither a threat nor a solution
To conclude, today there are two opposing yet flawed schools of thought.
On one side, those who diminish the historical relevance of AI, mocking stochastic parrots or AI slop; on the other, those who follow a naive neo-Luddism and fear AI will wipe out human ingenuity, causing mass unemployment.
As Iranian propaganda suggests, AI is a formidable tool, provided we steer it in the direction we set.
Explosive Media's videos are detailed in their execution and embedded within a coherent, integrated plan: human input remains crucial, in the shape of a thoughtful strategy and a finely crafted creativity.
Strategy and creativity: all elements we can enhance with Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and the like, but which we cannot delegate.
Otherwise, we would end up with vague and generic platitudes.
