Overview
- Iran’s information campaign pushes AI-made videos and cartoon clips under the banner “Operation Epstein Fury” to claim it is beating the US and Israel.
- The stylised Lego-themed animations have gone viral and depict staged strikes and captives, with several scenes identified as fabricated.
- State outlets, aligned influencers, and coordinated bot networks drive the rollout across platforms, with large accounts including Russia Today amplifying the posts.
- Researchers at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and WITNESS say cartoons face fewer takedowns and cross language barriers, which helps reach younger users primed by familiar pop culture.
- Verification is fraying as rivals dismiss real footage as fake, including images of grieving parents after a southern Iran school strike that killed more than 100 children, and experts link the tactic’s roots to Russia as fact-checkers struggle to keep pace.