Iran Deploys AI to Counter US Media Machine in Conflict

Iran has been leveraging cheap, AI-generated videos to counter the multibillion-dollar US media machine during the conflict in the Middle East. These short, punchy clips from Tehran have gone viral on social media, mocking US President Donald Trump and the American military, while warning that US troops will face "hell" if Washington launches a ground operation. They also reinforce the Iranian narrative that Trump ordered the February 28 attack to distract the public from the Epstein files.

In response, the US media effort is led by Rupert Murdoch's empire, including outlets like Fox News, the New York Post, and the Wall Street Journal. This strategy targets diverse audiences with tailored narratives, adopting a measured tone for educated elites and making bogus claims—such as suggesting Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is gay—or using slogans like "short-term pain for long-term gain" for everyday people.

Iran's approach has proven more effective, with its often-bizarre AI-generated clips gaining viral traction and sometimes being shared by mainstream media outlets. Concurrently, Trump's approval ratings have plummeted to around 36%, with about 60% of Americans believing US military action against Iran has gone too far, according to Ipsos polls, highlighting the impact of these tactics on public perception.