Iran and Yemen’s Houthi movement have intensified a coordinated disinformation campaign that targets the United States and former President Trump, employing sophisticated digital tools to shape public perception.
In the northern Yemeni city of Saada, a rally labeled “Warning and Mobilization Friday” featured chants calling for a jihad “for God’s sake” and a rejection of “the tyrants and criminals of the age.” Organizers emphasized retaliation with slogans such as “aggression for aggression, siege for siege.”
Houthi leadership declared that all Saudi oil facilities and critical infrastructure are legitimate targets for missiles and drones, and condemned Saudi inspections of wheat and medicine shipments as a humiliating affront.
Claims of a July 13 missile and drone strike on Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport were later disproved; the footage traced to a 2019 coalition video of an earlier attack and a 2022 fire at an oil facility in Jeddah.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released an AI‑generated video titled “One Vengeance for All,” depicting a ballistic missile strike on the United States, accompanied by state broadcaster branding.
Two days later, an AI‑crafted animation mocked former President Trump, showing miniature Lego figures of Trump and an Israeli leader being defeated, ending with a message that the United States’ actions would be judged unfavorably by history.
Analysis of online activity shows a rising pattern of AI‑generated propaganda from Iran‑aligned outlets, with animated videos and images designed to inflame anti‑U.S. sentiment and signal readiness for renewed conflict.
Militant groups across the region, including the Houthis, are employing AI tools to recruit supporters, discussing strategy on encrypted platforms and disseminating content that blends humor with intimidation.
AI‑produced images have surfaced portraying Trump humiliated and defeated before wreckage pierced by a traditional Yemeni dagger, while another graphic shows a Houthi spokesperson standing over a subdued Trump figure.
One video warned U.S. troops that their coffins were already en route, using AI animation to depict an Iranian attack on American forces in the Middle East.
Targeted AI Lego videos have claimed responsibility for the deaths of U.S. senators and commentators, naming individuals such as a senior senator, a political commentator, and several media personalities, each accompanied by the caption “who’s next.”
A coordinated online operation generated over 145 million views within days, leveraging tens of thousands of fake accounts to spread AI‑generated content across multiple social platforms, reaching audiences in the millions.
In May, an international effort identified and removed more than 14 200 posts and links tied to the IRGC, including AI videos glorifying the corps and material linked to allied groups such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
