Iranian team Explosive Media creates viral Lego war videos with AI

When a real war unfolds in the skies over Iran, an information war is waged in Lego bricks. The Iranian content-making team Explosive Media releases viral video clips with AI animation, racking up millions of views across the internet—and the creators claim the secret to their success is simple: "soul." Since the US and Israel began bombing Iran, Explosive Media has methodically transformed military news into sarcastic musical clips in Lego aesthetics.

In one of their recent videos, they break down an episode that the American side views as a major victory: the rescue of a downed pilot from Iranian territory. President Trump called the operation a success. Explosive Media painted a fundamentally different picture—and it went viral.

In their version of events, American military forces are a comedy of failures: several lost aircraft and helicopters, all to save a single person. "Spent a hundred million dollars to save one guy," echoes in the clip. Lego fighter jets explode on screen and scatter into hundred-dollar bills and gold coins.

The political message is packaged in a format that is simultaneously childish and bitingly sharp. Explosive Media is not a random viral account, but an organized team that, over the course of the conflict, established a stable stream of content. Each video is created using generative AI tools and relies on characteristic Lego visualization.

The choice of format is deliberate: plastic bricks neutralize the brutality of war, make it comprehensible and easily shareable for a global audience, yet preserve a sharp political punch. The creators themselves explain the virality of their work not through clever algorithms or targeted provocation, but through "heart"—genuine involvement in what is happening. According to them, videos are born from real engagement with events, not from calculation aimed at pressing the audience's pain points.

This is an important statement against the backdrop of widespread discussions about Iranian propaganda and disinformation. From a technical perspective, the Explosive Media story illustrates a new reality: generative AI allows a small team to create visually rich animations without a professional studio and a large budget. What once required months of specialist work now comes together in days.

The Lego style further lowers the realism bar: the viewer already accepts the conventionality of the image, meaning technical imperfections are perceived as part of the style rather than as a shortcoming. The Explosive Media phenomenon fits into a broader trend: AI is becoming a tool of political communication in zones of active conflict around the world. States and non-state actors are mastering generative models for the production of propaganda, counter-propaganda, and satire—and the boundary between these genres is becoming increasingly blurred.

Especially when behind the video stands a team calling their main secret "heart." Explosive Media videos work precisely because they exist in multiple registers simultaneously. For some—this is honest military satire.

For others—propaganda in a cute wrapper. For still others—just funny Lego videos worth sharing with friends. It is this polysemy that ensures viral reach: each viewer finds their own perspective in the frame.

The story of the Iranian team is a vivid example of how generative AI lowers the barrier to entry into big politics. Now all it takes is a small team with "heart" and access to neural networks.