Iran’s new propaganda tool is just what you would expect
By Easton Martin | March 4, 2026
As the joint US and Israeli military campaign against Iranian nuclear and missile infrastructure continues, a parallel conflict is unfolding on social media. Pro-regime accounts on X are deploying a steady stream of low quality AI-generated media to mask the reality of Operation Epic Fury. These posts attempt to manufacture domestic victories while actual Iranian air defenses and naval assets suffer catastrophic losses.
The fabricated content frequently centers on claims of downed American drones and destroyed Israeli hardware. These digital artifacts serve as a primary psychological tool to maintain morale as kinetic operations degrade Iranian command and control. One recurring narrative involves the supposed destruction of an F-35, a claim originally popularized last year with a poorly rendered AI image. That specific visual depicted a distorted jet scaled to the size of a football field. It featured warped textures and impossible proportions that stood in stark contrast to the 16 meter length of an actual F-35.
Current misinformation follows this established pattern of technical failure. Recent posts claiming to show strikes on US carrier groups or the destruction of regional bases often contain glaring anomalies. These include misshapen human hands, impossible shadows, and military equipment that merges into the surrounding landscape.
The reliance on synthetic media indicates a lack of genuine battlefield successes to report. This automated propaganda functions as a last resort for a regime unable to provide authentic evidence of resistance.
