YouTube shut down a channel operated by a pro-Iran media group known for widely shared AI-generated Lego-style videos targeting President Donald Trump, the platform confirmed Wednesday, drawing criticism online even as the content continued to circulate elsewhere.

The group, Explosive Media, has gained significant attention during the U.S.-Iran conflict for producing animated clips that have amassed millions of views. While it describes itself as independent, it is broadly suspected of having links to the Iranian government.

A YouTube spokesperson said, “We terminated the channel for violating our spam, deceptive practices and scams policies,” but did not provide further details.

According to the company, the channel had already been taken down on March 27.

Despite the removal, Explosive Media continued publishing similar content on other platforms, including the Elon Musk-owned X and Telegram.

Instagram, which is owned by Meta, also removed the group’s account, according to U.S. media reports, though another account under the same name remained active as of Wednesday.

Meta did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.

Responding to YouTube’s decision, Explosive Media posted on X: “Seriously! Are our LEGO-style animations actually violent?”

Even after being removed from YouTube, the group’s reach appeared largely intact, as its videos continued to be widely reshared by other users on the platform.

The animations, often styled after elements of American pop culture, portray Trump with exaggerated features, including a large yellow head, and depict him as an isolated and erratic figure prone to childish behavior.

Following a two-week ceasefire announced last week, the group released a new video on X with the caption: “TACO will always remain TACO,” referring to the acronym “Trump always chickens out.”

The video, accompanied by dramatic music, shows a Trump-like toy figure meeting with Arab leaders, throwing a chair at U.S. military figures, while Iranian commanders press a red button labeled “Back to the Stone Age,” triggering widespread destruction across the region.

Analysts say such cartoon-style content is becoming an increasingly prominent tool in modern information campaigns, a trend some have labeled the “Legofication” of propaganda.

In recent weeks, similar viral videos have depicted imagined Iranian battlefield successes, global leaders portrayed as dependent on Iran for oil, and even the Strait of Hormuz reimagined as a stylized toll checkpoint.

Much of Explosive Media’s output is produced in English, suggesting it is aimed primarily at international audiences rather than viewers inside Iran, where access to platforms such as X has long been restricted without the use of virtual private networks.

With internet monitoring group NetBlocks reporting an “internet blackout” affecting many users in Iran, the group’s ability to consistently release high-quality content has intensified speculation about potential state backing.

Explosive Media has denied those claims, calling them a “media distortion.”

{Matzav.com}