The Iranian regime-backed “Explosive Media” Lego AI-generated propaganda channel published a video claiming that the regime was behind the death of US senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday.The video, which was removed from the propaganda’s X/Twitter page but remains on Telegram, where it is captioned “SUDDEN ILLNESS. Lindsey Graham is Dead! Iran Lego is ready 🙂 Who’s next?” and has been viewed by The Jerusalem Post, shows Graham at home, before being scared of a shadowy, cloaked figure, dying of a heart attack.The video then shows Graham being taken away in an ambulance, before the medic is seen ticking the name “Lindsey” off a checklist. The name “Laura” appears next on the list.American right-wing activist and self-described Zionist Laura Loomer wrote on X that she believes this is a death threat aimed at her.According to Loomer, the propaganda channel also published a subsequent video titled “Bullseye Loomer,” which she stated reinforces the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ death threats towards her. Loomer directly blames the IRGC as responsible for the production of the “Explosive Media” videos.Meanwhile, the propaganda channel downplayed the effect of Loomer removing death threat videos from X, by writing on Telegram that “They removed this video after 1.9M views and locked our X account. But I don’t think that’s going to bring Lindsey back to life.””Explosive Media” on Monday also threatened other pro-Trump and pro-Israel political commentators, including Mark Levin, Miriam Adelson, Randy Fine, and Ben Shapiro, creating Lego figures for each of them.”Mr Explosive,” who runs the propaganda outlet, spoke to the BBC during the height of operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury, confirming that the “regime is a client.”A major motif of the channel’s propaganda has been to blame Israel and the US for the strike on a girls’ school in Minab that the regime claims killed 156.The channel was banned by YouTube in April, a spokesperson for the video hosting site told Agence France-Presse at the time.
The Mechanics of AI-Driven Political Intimidation
The “Explosive Media” channel relies on synthetic media to create realistic, albeit fictional, scenarios of violence. In the video targeting Senator Graham, the channel depicted a shadowy figure causing a heart attack, followed by a medic checking off the senator’s name on a list that included “Laura” as the next intended target. Laura Loomer stated on X that she views this as a direct death threat from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), identifying the IRGC as the force behind the production of these videos.
The channel’s operator, identified as “Mr. Explosive,” previously confirmed to the BBC during the “Roaring Lion” and “Epic Fury” operations that the regime acts as a client for his propaganda efforts. These operations frequently employ a specific motif: blaming Israel and the United States for a strike on a girls’ school in Minab, which the regime claims resulted in 156 deaths.
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Despite being banned by YouTube in April, as confirmed by a company spokesperson to Agence France-Presse, the channel continues to maintain an active presence on encrypted messaging platforms like Telegram, where it circulates content that has been removed from mainstream social media sites.
Platform Enforcement and the Persistence of Propaganda
The challenge for social media companies lies in the rapid migration of banned content to less-regulated platforms. After the “Explosive Media” channel’s X account was locked and a video featuring over 1.9 million views was removed, the channel utilized its Telegram channel to mock the enforcement actions. The operator explicitly stated that the removal of content would not reverse the impact of their psychological operations.
The breadth of the campaign has expanded beyond individual senators. By creating Lego-style figures of various pro-Israel and pro-Trump commentators—including Miriam Adelson, Randy Fine, and Ben Shapiro—the channel has signaled an intent to maintain a sustained pressure campaign against specific political demographics.
FAQ: Understanding Digital Propaganda Trends
What is “Explosive Media”?
It is an Iranian-backed propaganda outlet that uses AI-generated videos and imagery to threaten political figures and promote regime-aligned narratives.
How does the channel respond to content moderation?
When mainstream platforms like YouTube or X remove their content, the operators often move the material to Telegram, where they continue to host videos and taunt platform moderators.
Are these threats considered credible?
While the videos are AI-generated simulations, targets like Laura Loomer have publicly identified them as active death threats linked to the IRGC, reflecting the evolving nature of state-sponsored digital intimidation.
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