Propaganda war: The Gen Z team behind Iran’s hit anti-Trump videos

Issued on: 07/05/2026 -

Satirical Lego animations depicting US President Donald Trump as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s puppet while casting Iran as the defender of the oppressed mark the latest propaganda coup for the Iranian regime in its war with the US. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to one of the young Iranians behind the videos.

From being portrayed as Benjamin Netanyahu’s puppet to being shown entangled in the Epstein affair, Donald Trump has become the star of a series of satirical Lego animations.

Posted by Iranian officials and embassies, these videos have been a worldwide hit – marking a propaganda coup for the Iranian regime in its war with the United States.

The group that first created the videos calls itself Explosive Media. Our team spoke with their spokesman:

“We’re a group of friends. Most of us are students – or recently graduated. We’re between 19 and 25. We listen to a wide range of music – rap, pop.

We write our own rap lyrics. But when it comes to the final track – the singing voice – that part is generated using AI.”

The videos portray Iran as acting in self-defence and as the defender of people oppressed by the US around the world.

The group told FRANCE 24 they do not take orders from the Iranian regime. We were not able to confirm this.

“We’re independent. But even if people call it propaganda, does that really matter? What matters is whether American people believe us.

Whether they connect with what we’re saying. Because we see ourselves as speaking the truth.”
‘They don’t limit their religious acts to just reading the Quran or praying’

So how is it that young conservative Iranians who support the regime have adopted the codes of Generation Z? We put that question to Iranian journalist Ali Pourtabatabaei:

“From my perspective, this is not unusual. This is because the same tools and resources available worldwide for creating such animations have also been accessible in Iran. At the same time, rap has become very popular among Iranian youth.

It might be hard for people outside Iran to understand how young religious Iranians are aware of these possibilities and how to use them. Perhaps it’s because there are stereotypes about them.

They have interests and skills that go far beyond what we imagine.

They don’t limit their religious acts to just reading the Quran or praying. Making these kinds of videos and music can also be considered a religious act.”

BY:The FRANCE 24 Observers