Theatre of war: How AI videos and propaganda clips manipulated US-Iran conflict

Episode 490 of the Beyond the Headlines podcast, hosted by The National News, titled "Theatre of war: How AI videos and propaganda clips manipulated US-Iran conflict" was published on April 10, 2026 and runs 18 minutes.

April 10, 2026 ·18m · Beyond the Headlines

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Summary

US President Donald Trump went from warning about the demise of a “whole civilisation” to announcing a “big day for world peace” in a matter of hours. It was not the first time he has used his Truth Social platform to make alarming statements during the course of the Iran war. He has used expletives and threats, often through conflicting messages over whether the conflict is escalating or winding down. Provocative language and dramatic effect have played a big role in the media battle, even as a fragile two-week ceasefire comes into effect. But it is not only words. The White House has shared Hollywood-style trailers promoting US military operations. Not to be outdone, official Iranian social media accounts and officials have also relentlessly been sharing wartime propaganda of their own, including AI-generated Lego videos and cartoon memes mocking Mr Trump and other US officials. These have gone viral, as have fake images and news of the war. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher examines the high-tech propaganda and disinformation campaigns that have been conducted over the past six weeks – and explains how dangerously effective they have been.We hear from Henry Giroux, professor at McMaster University and a cultural critic, and from Darren Linvill, co-director of the Media Forensics Hub at Clemson University.

Episode Description

US President Donald Trump went from warning about the demise of a “whole civilisation” to announcing a “big day for world peace” in a matter of hours.

It was not the first time he has used his Truth Social platform to make alarming statements during the course of the Iran war. He has used expletives and threats, often through conflicting messages over whether the conflict is escalating or winding down.

Provocative language and dramatic effect have played a big role in the media battle, even as a fragile two-week ceasefire comes into effect. But it is not only words. The White House has shared Hollywood-style trailers promoting US military operations.

Not to be outdone, official Iranian social media accounts and officials have also relentlessly been sharing wartime propaganda of their own, including AI-generated Lego videos and cartoon memes mocking Mr Trump and other US officials. These have gone viral, as have fake images and news of the war.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher examines the high-tech propaganda and disinformation campaigns that have been conducted over the past six weeks – and explains how dangerously effective they have been. We hear from Henry Giroux, professor at McMaster University and a cultural critic, and from Darren Linvill, co-director of the Media Forensics Hub at Clemson University.