cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/46797842

May 2, 2026

The creative team behind many of the viral sensations featuring Lego characters and storytelling critical of the war launched by US-Israeli forces against Iran two months ago, posted a new video on Saturday that seeks to forge solidarity between everyday Iranians and Americans suffering from the conflict, and who desperately want to see the fighting brought to an end.

“The Iranian AI Lego team has another video out,” said Trita Parsi, executive vice president at the Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a DC think tank focused on US foreign policy. “The music, lyrics, and imagery are all designed to appeal to disillusioned Americans.”

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    19
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    7 days ago

    I wonder if that’s why all the Iranian accounts suddenly stopped calling everyone “zionazis”?

    I won’t comment on how/why they got that memo a few days before the video, but it clearly wasn’t working and makes sense they’re pivoting.

    From a purely technical standpoint, it always made more sense for Iranian trolls to commiserate with Americans online; play it as “the only country that wants this is Israel” would be super effective.

    Insisting anyone who disagrees is a Zionist just makes the label mean nothing and makes people disregard anything else the propaganda is saying, even the true parts.

    All they were doing was diving people who were already against Israel and trump

  • zd9@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    23
    arrow-down
    13
    ·
    7 days ago

    Yeah so… that video is completely true and great and all… but is this video being put out by the same regime that murdered like 20 THOUSAND unarmed civilians?? Trump and his puppeteers are bad (Thiel, Heritage Foundation, Musk, Vought, Andreeson, etc.) but also the Iranian Regime is way worse. How about they all blow up each other, so the People can finally have their revolution?

    • hcf@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      20
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      7 days ago

      but is this video being put out by the same regime that […]

      It is not, actually. The group behind this is mostly a collective of around 9-10 Iran-based, Gen Z creators operating independent of the IRGC and/or official government of Iran. Their group/org name is “Explosive Media”.

      Lumping everyone in Iran as somehow part of “the regime” is kinda a shitty thing to do.

      That, and Trump’s ACA/Medicaid cuts are estimated to cause upwards of more than 50,000 premature deaths in the US, so you’re also objectively wrong if going by numbers, alone.

      In Trump’s first term, U.S.-led coalition forces killed more than 29,000 non-combatants in Iraq and Syria.

      But sure, the government fighting a CIA-backed, armed rebellion is worse than the government that–checks notes–drops tomahawk missiles on other countries’ elementary schools.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        7 days ago

        collective of around 9-10 Iran-based, Gen Z creators operating independent of the IRGC and/or official government of Iran.

        About that…

        In previous interviews the outlet has said it is “totally independent”. But upon further questioning, Mr Explosive admits the regime is a “customer” - something he’s never before confirmed publicly.

        https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjd8jrd1vnyo

        If you’re ok having your domestic fascist regime being you’re “customer” you can’t really push back when people call your product propaganda for the fascist regime…

        “But they offer me monies!” Isn’t a good enough excuse to work for fascists with criticism for it.

        • Riverside@reddthat.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          7 days ago

          Imagine believing the Zionist pro-genocide BBC international news coverage in 2026…

          • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            7 days ago

            Man, I really thought the “everyone I don’t like is a zionist” phase…

            The guy who wrote that article also just made a documentary:

            https://liontv.com/our-shows/palestine-action-the-truth-behind-the-ban-dispatches

            Calling out the UK government for banning Palestine Action…

            This may surprise you, the vast majority of “westerners” hate the governments of Israel, Iran, and likely their own domestic governments.

            Criticizing one place does not equallyean someone is “on the other side”.

            In fact, in a lot of conflicts, both governments are assholes.

            Does that make sense?

        • hcf@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          7 days ago

          FTA:

          In earlier Instagram messages, he’d told us his operation had been directly commissioned for multiple projects by Iranian officials.

          So… What’s your point? What were the nature of the projects? Your linked article doesn’t say.

          Btw, are you an American? Do you pay taxes to the American fascist regime (or one of its coalition partners)? Yes? Then you directly fund the melting of school children overseas. Do you drive a gas-fueled vehicle? Yeah? Welp, 0.9¢ per gallon of that goes straight to frying little brown boys and girls in Gaza.

          If that’s not more concerning to you than feigning moral supremacy over some dudes making Lego videos then perhaps your vision is a bit tinted by a different kind of supremacy.

          • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            0
            ·
            edit-2
            7 days ago

            What’s your point?

            What I said it was…

            If you’re ok having your domestic fascist regime being you’re “customer” you can’t really push back when people call your product propaganda for the fascist regime…

            .

            Btw, are you an American?

            Yeah bro, it sucks…

            See that? A citizen saying their government is a bunch of fascists.

            1. What country are you from?

            2. How do you feel about your current government?

            Usually when asking it’s politie to offer up the same info pre-emptively.

            I answered anyways, but if you don’t reciprocate it kind of makes it look like you got something to hide

            • hcf@sh.itjust.works
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              0
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              7 days ago

              They were rhetorical questions. You weren’t supposed to answer them.

              You have terrible reading comprehension.

              🤦‍♂️

              • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                7 days ago

                Does that mean I don’t get an answer?

                What country are you from?

                How do you feel about your current government?

                Usually when asking it’s politie to offer up the same info pre-emptively.

                I answered anyways, but if you don’t reciprocate it kind of makes it look like you got something to hide

    • Eldritch@piefed.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      17
      ·
      7 days ago

      Has more direct, violent control of their own people? Sure. Worse than trump and friends? Dunno bout that. Due to trump’s malice and incompetence, he’s getting people killed in the US as well as abroad. Plenty in Cuba are suffering and dying because of him right now. Africa too. They’re both shit and I won’t root for either. I certainly won’t begrudge them killing our soldiers following illegal orders over there invading at least.

        • Zorque@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          7 days ago

          So worse because of opportunity, not because of effort? Do you think the Iranian regime would have been any better if they were in the same position as the US?

          • Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            7 days ago

            I don’t know, because that isn’t the reality we live in. They’d probably be just as bad, but that doesn’t justify the US being awful either.

            • Zorque@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              7 days ago

              Who said it did? People aren’t saying there has to be a good guy, they’re saying they’re both bad. That trying to make one better or worse is pointless because they’re hurting people either way.

              You don’t have to pick one of two sides in this. You can just say “The war is bad”.

    • mrdown@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      7 days ago

      Please decide yourself. The regime killed 20,000, 30,000, or 40,000? The USA is responsible for millions of deaths. I am sorry, but the USA is way worse than the Iranian regime.

    • Riverside@reddthat.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      edit-2
      7 days ago

      murdered like 20 THOUSAND unarmed civilians?

      Source: the same Zionist media denying the genocide of Palestinians. Surely a non-doctored, totally true® figure.

      Also, about the “unarmed” part:

      US was arming Iranian dissidents through Kurds while negotiating with Tehran, Trump reveals

      So, the US sanctions Iran so heavily that the impoverished population wants to riot, and the US gives weapons to said impoverished population… Totally not a coup attempt!

      • belluck@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        6 days ago

        The official stance of the Iranian Government is that ~3000 people were killed, ~2400 of which were civilians. Even if you choose to only believe the statement put out by the perpetrators, you still have to acknowledge that they killed multiple thousands of unarmed protestors.

        If you think that shooting at civilian protestors, regardless of how much they were incited by the enemy, is in any way acceptable, then I don’t see how you can claim moral superiority.

        The enemy of your enemy is not your friend.

        • Riverside@reddthat.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          6 days ago

          If you cared the slightest about Iranian lives, you’d be protesting the US and EU sanctions on Iran that have debilitated its economy and hence murdered hundreds of thousands of people during the past half century. Based on a study by The Lancet, US and EU sanctions murder HALF A MILLION PEOPLE YEARLY globally since 1975, or about 38 million murders since 1970.

          The US playbook is to force economic turmoil through sanctions, literally starving people until they riot, arming the rioters, and then invading. Look at the protests’ timing with the exchange rate of the Iranian Rial, the protestors were rioting because they were starved by the US. But you blame Iran for the starving people who are dead because of explicit US policy of starving and arming people as a destabilizing factor. You literally fell for the US attempt to generate support for the war (or at least reduce criticism) because “Iranian government bad”, when ALL of those deaths and TENS OF MILLIONS MORE are the US’s fault.

    • egerlach@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      7 days ago

      Two things can both be bad.

      Bad people can be right.

      Saying “this video by the Iranian regime roasts the US regime” doesn’t automatically mean that the Iranians are right. I see the rebuttal that there’s an implicit boosting and platforming of this which normalizes it. I don’t know which is worse. I think we’ll need hindsight for that.

    • Mrkawfee@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      6 days ago

      Mossad and CIA operatives kicked off a violent uprising in Iran in January, following economic protests, which targeted police and other protestors. It was a cynical attempt to encourage a crackdown so Western propaganda could use it as a basis for “humanitarian intervention”

      It didn’t work but that absurdly false death count has stuck around like a bad smell. Verified death count is 3,000 and many of those were police.

    • Tolc@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      7 days ago

      here we have another liberal manufacturing consent for the war and thinking republicans are the problem in america

      • Zorque@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        7 days ago

        Here we have another my way or the highway extremist who only takes what they want to hear from a statement instead of the intent… or the actual content of the words.

      • ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        7 days ago

        Lol that shit is hilarious, like people who actually live here can possibly forget ALL the Republican political messaging in support of this administration, its stupid ass wars, raping kids, hiding its crimes, and killing/marginalizing/deporting anyone who disagrees or even just happens to be brown.

        Do you have any idea how many fucking red caps and pro-Trump signs I have to see every day? Do you really think your limp words hold a candle to all that crowing about the Republicans “hurting the right people” finally?

        “here we have another liberal thinking republicans are the problem in america”

        YEAH! I ABSOLUTELY FUCKING DO!

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        7 days ago

        When people talk about trump being “unprecedented” I think it’s because people don’t know a prior Republican president specifically and explicitly requested to watch his son (a future Republican president) jack off as part of Skull and Bones…

        Like HW Bush full on requested a front row seat, knowing full well what would happen because his dad was also a member too.

        • Krusty@quokk.au
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          7 days ago

          Monkeys spanking monkeys spanking monkeys over pieces of dat ass.

          Silly monkeys, give them thumbs, they’ll gather 'round and watch the monkey spank its monkey.

          Angels on the sideline again Wondering where this tug of war will end.

  • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    6 days ago

    Muslim Iranian’s have more in common with your everyday American’s than your American Zionest Evangelical.

  • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    6 days ago

    Iran being smart enough to do the thing the US admin is too stupid to: win the hearts and minds of your adversary’s civilian populace.

    • WaxRhetorical@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      6 days ago

      Historians are going to have plenty of work to do describing how the US threw away all of their soft power over the course of some decades. Absolutely wild to see.

      • garretble@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        edit-2
        6 days ago

        It only took one year to wreck most of the soft power, too! And they say government isn’t efficient…

        • SpongyAneurysm@feddit.org
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          edit-2
          4 days ago

          Do you mean all that squishy cuddly soft power you guys employed, when you invaded Iraq? Or Afghanistan? Or Iraq again?

          • FlyingCircus@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            5 days ago

            No, more like things like convincing the UAE to leave OPEC, accelerating the collapse of the petrodollar and the subsequent collapse of the US economy as a whole.