The United States and Iran are deploying pop culture references, including Lego, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto, in a propaganda war alongside real military conflict. Hundreds have died since US and Israeli strikes on Iran last month, with no end in sight.
Iranian state media posted an AI-generated Lego video depicting US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the devil, reviewing an 'Epstein file'. The Trump figure launches a missile at a Muslim girls' school, leaving only a pink bag and shoes—an apparent reference to the bombing of Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' school in Iran, which killed at least 175 people and was condemned by Unesco.
In retaliation, Lego Iranian officials bomb a British base in Cyprus and the US embassy in Saudi Arabia, both real-life drone targets. The video also shows figures in Hassidic dress and Israeli soldiers fleeing. Meanwhile, the White House posted clips on X featuring Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto imagery, including a GTA meme with the words 'wasted' after strikes.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the videos, stating they highlight the success of Operation Epic Fury. Comedian Ben Stiller and voice actor Steve Downes called for removal of clips from Tropic Thunder and Halo respectively. Experts warn such content blurs the line between war and entertainment, with Dr Iain Overton of Action on Armed Violence calling it 'philosophically unsettling' and Dr Lukasz Olejnik noting it alters how the brain processes violence.
