YouTube has announced suspension of a channel belonging to a pro-Iran group producing viral Lego-themed AI videos that ridicule US President Donald Trump. The group known as Explosive Media, which describes itself as independent but is widely suspected of ties to the Iranian government, has gained internet notoriety during the US-Iran war for animation videos that have racked up millions of views.
The Google-owned platform mud last week said the pro-Tehran platform had been terminated, sparking online criticism. “We terminated the channel for violating our spam, deceptive practices and scams policies,” a YouTube spokesman told AFP, without giving further details on the development. Explosive Media was still posting videos mocking the US war effort on other tech platforms, including Elon Musk-owned X and Telegram.
US media also reported that Meta-owned Instagram equally took down the group’s account, but another account under its name was still active on Wednesday. Meta is yet to respond on the development. However, criticising YouTube’s action, Explosive Media on its X handle wrote: “Seriously! Are our LEGO-style animations actually violent?” YouTube’s suspension appeared to have limited impact on Explosive Media’s reach, with its videos still being widely shared by content creators on the platform.
The satirical videos, which tap into American popular culture, caricatured Trump with an oversized yellow head and portrayed him as an old, isolated figure prone to childish tantrums, seemingly disconnected from reality.
After a two-week ceasefire was announced last week, the group posted a video on X with the caption: “TACO will always remain TACO,” referring to the acronym “Trump always chickens out.”
With dramatic background music, the video depicts a Trump-like toy figure huddling with Arab leaders, hurling a chair at US military figures, while Iranian generals press a red button labelled “Back to the Stone Age,” unleashing a torrent of destruction across the Middle East.
