Iran says it is aware of American tricks

Key facts

• Iran's parliament spokesperson stated the US claims of seeking an end to the war are contradicted by its actions.
• He accused the US of 'betting on our intelligence being as limited as their IQ.'
• Iran has embraced ironic, absurd, and often AI-generated content in its information contest with the US.
• Pro-Iranian influencers are creating AI videos depicting Iranian military victory and US defeat.
• Official Iranian accounts on X have seen a significant increase in engagement since the conflict began.

Iran's parliament spokesperson, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that the United States' claims of seeking an end to the war are contradicted by its actions, specifically the deployment of new military equipment to the region. Ghalibaf asserted that Iran possesses a high level of proficiency in recognizing such American strategies, suggesting that actions should align with claims. This statement comes amid Iran's broader strategy to counter the US in the information domain, which includes the use of memes, AI-generated videos, and sarcastic social media content. These tactics, characterized by some analysts as 'shitposting,' aim to disrupt and ridicule, thereby undercutting US soft power and potentially fostering reticence for military action within the American public. Pro-Iranian influencers have produced popular AI videos depicting Iranian military victories and US defeats, with one showing a caricature of Donald Trump in a losing scenario. Official Iranian accounts on X have experienced a significant surge in engagement, with hundreds of millions of views, likes, and shares in the initial fifty days of the conflict. Experts note that the US is not well-equipped to counter these nimble and culturally savvy influence campaigns, which are also being observed by other potential threat actors.