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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. A lull in the fighting between the United States and Iran has not stopped U.S. President Donald Trump from using artificial intelligence-generated images to threaten Tehran, a tactic he is using more frequently, with the Islamic Republic responding in kind.
After the U.S. suspended bombing Iran following 13 days of airstrikes and retaliatory attacks by Tehran across the region, Trump posted AI-generated images of Iran’s ships and energy infrastructure being blown up and taken over by the U.S. military.
Iranian mockery of the U.S. has been ongoing and includes AI-made movies of Lego figures ridiculing U.S. forces, as a new front in the war removed from the aerial bombardments and maritime blockades of the Strait of Hormuz.
Michał Klincewicz, a cognitive science expert, told Newsweek he believed Tehran was winning the AI war against the U.S.
A paper he co-wrote last year used the term "slopaganda" to refer to AI-generated "slop" that serves propagandistic purposes. "They (Iran) are changing the narrative, creating more viral, shareable content, thereby outmaneuvering the U.S. in the realm of cognitive warfare," he said.
Trump has been using AI imagery about global and domestic political issues, but regarding the war in Iran, he upped the ante. As Tehran and Washington are deadlocked over the conflict, which started on February 28 with American and Israeli strikes, Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday a series of AI-generated Iran-war-themed images
They included one showing warplanes bombing an oil facility with the caption “ STRIKE ON KHARG ,” referring to Iran’s main oil export hub. Several images in quick succession were captioned “It’s Our Oil Tanker now!”
Another showed an explosion on a tanker which had "Iran" on the side, with the message "goodbye engine room." A different image showed Trump looking ahead next to explosions by Iranian flags above the caption "Guardian of the World."
On April 29, when negotiations over a ceasefire with Tehran had stalled, Trump released an AI-generated image of himself holding an assault rifle with the message " no more Mr. Nice Guy ," in a message to Tehran.
Not to be outdone, Iran released an apparently AI-made movie using Lego figures in which a U.S. soldier crawls out of a crashed helicopter on Kharg Island and, struggling in the heat, comes across an Iranian soldier smiling and drinking tea.
“Too hot for you softie. Go back to the AC,” reads the message.
A video circulated in March which appeared to be AI-generated, showing Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looking over a folder titled: "Jeffrey Epstein File," as they stood next to Satan, suggesting the joint U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign was intended as a distraction from the Epstein investigation.
Wired reported that the videos, which have had millions of views, are produced by Explosive Media, a group of young Iranians well versed in U.S. popular culture who have been linked to the Iranian government.
On July 23, Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to the clips, saying that Iran was not ready to do a deal, “but they will be soon. Because the price they are paying is very high, despite their tough talk and flowery language and stupid LEGO videos.”
This next day, a clip called Rubio "a little clown "and a "little lap dog stuck under the loser's thumb."
“Relative to Iran's Lego's campaign, the White House slopaganda is of significantly lower quality and, in my opinion, has lower impact,” said Klincewicz. “The White House is primarily focused on the domestic U.S. audience, it seems, and its own voter base—boomer memes for boomers, basically.”
In an article he co-wrote for The Conversation, Klincewicz described how slopaganda was effective through repeated exposure in legacy and social media because it penetrates our usual mental defenses.
It grabs attention and is delivered to a distracted audience, such as those scrolling on social media or browsing websites. It is a very effective way of diluting the world of what we think we know with falsehoods and half-truths, known as the "epistemic environment."
Rather than aiming for accuracy, the slopaganda provokes feelings and emotions, and creates an association, like Satan being associated with Trump. Once misleading information enters someone’s mind, it can be hard to shake.
After the first U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, the White House posted a video on March 6 of real American attacks mixed with clips from movies, TV, and video games.
Iran then posted outdated war footage allegedly from the current conflict alongside AI-generated content depicting attacks on Tel Aviv and US bases in the Persian Gulf.
Klincewicz told Newsweek he believes slopaganda will be a part of the information campaign in both the Iran war and future conflicts. "It is here to stay, and it is a new quality, significantly different from other forms of propaganda we have seen before."
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Sam Wilson .
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