Iran Deploys AI-Generated Videos in Information War to Gain Public-Opinion Edge

After war broke out between the United States and Iran on February 28, 2026, Tehran combined cognitive warfare with missile and drone attacks, using Iranian state media, affiliated groups, social media accounts and diplomatic missions abroad to distribute AI-generated videos. The low-cost content targeted U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aiming to shape international perceptions of the war's costs and its likely victor.

TechNews reported on March 24 that outlets including Iran's Tasnim News Agency had released Lego- and Teletubbies-style videos mocking Trump's appeals for help, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the controversy over the Epstein files. Physical attacks extended to Diego Garcia, more than 2,000 kilometers away. The report said Trump had paused airstrikes on Iran for five days but did not disclose the budget for the AI propaganda or its production costs.