New Delhi: Iranian state media Fars News recently shared a video titled ‘One Vengeance for All’, in which the Middle Eastern country bombs the United States’s Statue of Liberty with the head of Baal, a Semitic deity. The video features people from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Gaza, and Epstein Island looking up at the sky with an almost peaceful expression in the aftermath.
The 55-second AI-generated video chronicles the US’ military involvement and alleged abuse across nations for generations. The montage ends with the phrase “One Vengeance for All”, presenting any forthcoming Iranian response as an act representing “all the oppressed worldwide”, a sentiment reflected in Farsi subtitles circulated online. The video was even reposted by RT News with the caption: “‘ONE VENGEANCE FOR ALL’ — Iran ‘bombs’ the Statue of Liberty WITH THE HEAD OF BAAL”.
As the US–Israeli war on Iran continues to escalate, so does the social media battle. And while the world can’t predict the outcome of the actual conflict, the meme war is definitely leaning toward the Iranians. Through a designated military media account which regularly shares war updates, pop culture-friendly commentary, and sympathetic videos, the Iranians are slowly upping their game of mocking the US and Israel.
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Meme war heating up
Earlier this month, Iran released another AI video, featuring the popular children’s toy, Legos. The animation mocked US President Donald Trump and the Epstein Files scandal that surrounded his administration prior to the conflict in the Middle East.
Another popular social media video released by Iran shows a cartoonified explainer of the conflict so far. “They broke this down in a way it could be understood even by Americans who don’t know where Iran is on a map or how to pronounce it correctly,” one user commented.
When Trump told reporters that the Strait of Hormuz would be controlled by him and the Ayatollah, the Iranian Embassy in South Africa posted a meme of the supposed “control” on their X account.
Soon after the strikes on Minab, the Iranian Military Media on X shared a video detailing the story of young Fatima. The AI-generated video showed the young girl enjoying life with her family before it gets cut short by Trump and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu.
Last week, the Iranian Military Media also shared an “educational” video personifying its ballistic missile, Sejjil. The video shows Sejjil relaxing and reading, before being called into action and boasts about the missile’s capabilities.
While Iran may have mastered the game now, Israel and the US strategised their social media warfare, especially for the young adults, featuring beautiful AI-generated men and women in military uniforms. The videos, which were dubbed as featuring “MAGA Barbies”, soon went viral.
Iran’s social media war was triggered after the US embassies and the White House shared clips from Hollywood movies and video games celebrating the US’s bombardment of the Middle Eastern nation.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)