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A pro-Iran group that creates viral Lego-style AI videos mocking U.S. President Donald Trump has had its YouTube channel taken down. The platform, owned by Google, stated Wednesday that the channel was removed for violating policies against spam, deceptive practices, and scams, but provided no additional details. The channel was suspended on March 27.
Despite the suspension, the group, known as Explosive Media, continues to post similar content on other platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), owned by Elon Musk, and Telegram. Additionally, their Instagram account, owned by Meta, was also removed, although another account under the same name remains active as of Wednesday. Meta declined to comment on the situation.
Explosive Media, which claims to be independent but is believed to have connections to Iran’s government, has grown notorious during tensions between the U.S. and Iran for animated videos that have gained millions of views. The satirical content caricatures Trump with exaggerated features and depicts him as a childish, disconnected figure. Recently, after a brief ceasefire was announced, the group posted a video on X featuring dramatic music, showing a toy Trump with Arab leaders, throwing chairs at U.S. military figures, and pressing a “Back to the Stone Age” button that unleashes destruction across the Middle East.
This type of content—cartoonish memes promoted by Iranian diplomatic missions and pro-Tehran online accounts—has become an important component of information warfare, what experts are calling the “Legofication” of conflict propaganda. Recent viral memes depict imagined Iranian military victories, world leaders in subservient scenarios, and even reimagined strategic locations like the Strait of Hormuz as cartoonish toll booths.
Much of Explosive Media’s content appears aimed at international audiences, especially in regions where platforms like X are blocked and access is only possible through VPNs. As Iranian internet access faces severe restrictions, suspicion persists that the group may have direct ties to the regime, a claim the group denies, labeling it as “media distortion.”
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