'Give them the Oscars': Internet gushes over Iran's AI Lego videos mocking Trump, US military

As tensions intensify on the ground, a parallel battle is unfolding across social media through memes and sharp criticism targeting the US and Israel. An AI-made, Lego-style animation videos recreating scenes from the ongoing US–Israel conflict with Iran have quickly gained traction online.

One such widely circulated clip dramatizes the rescue of an American airman after his fighter jet was brought down over Iran. The roughly two-minute animation, posted Monday by pro-Iran X account Explosive Media, has drawn significant attention and praise.

Describing itself as the “independent team behind Iranian LEGO Animations,” Explosive Media produces AI-generated content focused on political narratives. Its latest upload carried the caption: “In 48 hours, You learned the truth: Everything for Epstein’s pleasure. Soldiers thrown in the trash.”

The video triggered a wave of reactions online, with users applauding its production quality. One user wrote, “I’ve already said this, give Iran the Oscar for the best short animation videos,” while another suggested, “Can you make one with Game of Thrones theme song?”

A separate comment read, “So good. Bravo to the Explosive Media, the original Iranian Lego animation team. I especially love the added detail, bandaging his bruised small hand. So sweet Iran. So sweet.” Another user added, “You learn more from these Lego movies in 2 mins than western news will give you in 24 hours. Excellent!”

The real-world operation behind the storyline involved the rescue of a US weapons systems operator after his F-15E jet was shot down by Iranian air defences. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said the airman, who was “seriously wounded,” had been recovered with the help of Navy SEALs and other special forces.

In recent weeks, such Lego-style videos from Explosive Media have gone viral, gaining millions of views. Reportedly, they have also been amplified by Iranian state-linked accounts, picked up by Russian media, and circulated among activist networks.

Other clips from the same creator portray exaggerated scenarios, such as a distressed Trump ordering strikes after reviewing the “Epstein File” alongside Satan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or animations depicting ceasefire proposals being rejected by Iran followed by retaliatory attacks on US and Israeli bases. A rap-style video labels Trump a “loser” and portrays him as Netanyahu’s “puppet,” set against visuals of market crashes, missile launches and coffins.

Many of these narratives repeatedly reference Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender and former associate of Trump, tying into conspiracy theories that the Iran conflict is being used to divert attention from developments related to Epstein-linked documents.

According to Forbes, analysis by intelligence firm Graphika traced one viral video, showing a Lego-style Trump jolting awake during an Iranian attack on US warships, to a Telegram account named Akhbar Enfejari, meaning “Explosive News.”

CNBC noted, “What we’re seeing is not just a war of weapons, but it’s also a war of aesthetics,” said propaganda scholar Nancy Snow, adding, “Whoever controls the meme controls the mood.”

Together, these viral animations underscore how the conflict is being shaped as much by digital storytelling.