While Explosive Media’s content can no longer be viewed on YouTube — which is owned by Google — it appears unaffected on other major platforms such as Instagram, X and TikTok, where it has garnered millions of views.
Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, in April 2025. (Mehr News Agency / Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY 4.0)
By Stephen Prager
Common Dreams
Iran’s Foreign Ministry is accusing YouTube of trying to “suppress the truth” by banning the account responsible for a series of viral Lego-style animations mocking the U.S.-Israeli war.
The small [Iranian digital media] team known as Explosive Media has racked up tens of millions of views across several platforms, with slickly produced music videos mercilessly lampooning the Trump administration and glorifying Iran’s struggle against the U.S. and Israel in attacks that began at the end of February.
Last week, Explosive Media had its channel suspended from YouTube for “violent content,” which its owners disputed. “Are our LEGO-style animations actually violent?” the group asked on social media.
On Monday, Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, joined the criticism of the ban.
“In a land that proudly hosts Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, and The Walt Disney Company, an independent animated YouTube channel — which had organically grown by depicting U.S. aggression and warmongering, and garnered millions of viewers — was abruptly shut down!!” he wrote on social media.
“Why?!” Baghaei said. “Simply to suppress the truth about their ‘illegal war’ on Iran and shield the American administration’s false narrative from any competing voice.”
In a land that proudly hosts Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, and The Walt Disney Company, an independent animated YouTube channel — which had organically grown by depicting U.S. aggression & warmongering, and garnered millions of viewers — was abruptly shut down!!
Why?!
Simply to… pic.twitter.com/uCznwWgeNr— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) April 13, 2026
While Explosive Media’s content can no longer be viewed on YouTube — which is owned by Google — it appears unaffected on other major platforms like Instagram, X, and TikTok, where it has garnered millions of views.
The videos appear aimed at a U.S. audience, often leaning into jokes and memes about the personal foibles of those leading the war.
They frequently reference the familiar accusation that President Donald Trump launched the war to distract from the growing scrutiny of his connections to the late multimillionaire sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Another video takes aim at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s history of alcoholism and accusations of serial adultery and sexual misconduct.
The videos also portray a strident pro-Iran message. Following the announcement of a ceasefire last week, a video declared that “Iran won” the war. Others have shown Iranian missiles hitting the White House or heading toward Tel Aviv.
Break an enemy blockade by blockading their blockade. pic.twitter.com/ZFNCTioW3f
— Explosive Media (@ExplosiveMediaa) April 12, 2026
The videos also seize on growing domestic outrage over the U.S. government’s devotion to Israel, which it implies is controlling Trump and dragging the U.S. into a war against its interests. One video, uploaded last week, portrays Trump being literally walked like a dog by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Your government is run by pedophiles. They ordered you to die for Israel,” repeats one video’s chorus.
A spokesperson for the team, who identified himself as “Mr. Explosive” in an interview with the BBC, has described his group as “totally independent.” But he did say that the Iranian government is a “customer,” implying possible collaboration.
Explosive Media has denied any links with the Iranian government. Responding to a journalist at The Associated Press who said the sophistication of the videos suggests government involvement, the group’s official X account replied, “We’ve told you — and other journalists — multiple times that we are independent. Yet you keep repeating the same false claim, insisting that we are connected to the government.”
It added: “Western media shows no real commitment to truth — they simply repeat their own baseless claims until they start to sound like facts.”
While the Trump administration often portrays the war as a clash of civilizations, the videos posted by Explosive show the American people in a sympathetic light.
Though the videos pull no punches toward their leaders, ordinary Americans are portrayed protesting the Trump administration or fearful about being sent to fight in a foreign war by an administration that promised to end such conflicts.
Polls show that the majority of Americans disapprove of the war and fear it escalating. Moustafa Ayad, a researcher with the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, told WIRED that the videos have likely gotten so much attention because they tap into this discontent.
“People are disengaging from some of the real conflict content and looking for something that can distill what’s happening quickly and in a language and tone that they understand, and that’s what those Lego videos are doing,” he said.
“They’re making it easily accessible to understand the conflict from Iran’s point of view, and it’s hitting on points of disaffection in the United States at the same time. It’s working on two fronts.”
Stephen Prager is a staff writer for Common Dreams.
This article is from Common Dreams.
The views expressed in this article and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.
Iran’s Lego videos have been outstanding. They were wildly effective with apolitical normies, hence the YouTube ban! How long are people going to countenance this crap?
April 13, 2028, “EXPLOSIVE MEDIA,” an independent, animated YouTube Channel, was abruptly shut down!!” [WHY?!]
…..“[SIMPLY to SUPPRESS The TRUTH] about their ‘illegal war’ on Iran and shield the American administration’s false narrative from any competing voice.” Esmaeil Baghaei, Spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
April 16, 2026, FRENCH authorities deny visa access to Mr. SHAWAN JABARIN, a prominent Palestinian human rights defender & General Director of Al-Haq, a West Bank-based NGO, currently under US sanctions. MR. JABARIN was scheduled to speak before the European Parliament’s human rights committee in Strasbourg this past Tuesday, 4.14.26.
Mr. Jabarin was due to travel to the country this week as part for an advocacy trip; BLOCKED by the French authorities who DENIED his visa application. DENIED ENTRY “is an alarming setback for human rights.”
*“Alongside the three Palestinian organisations, the US sanctions list also includes eight ICC judges, three ICC prosecutors and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
@ * hxxps://www.fidh.org/en/region/europe-central-asia/france/france-decision-to-deny-entry-to-veteran-palestinian-human-rights
August 8, 2025, “We express our full solidarity with FRANCESCA ALBANESE, whose mandate and reporting are essential to upholding international legal standards and accountability.” US sanctions on Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese threaten human rights system: UN experts @ hxxps://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2025/08/us-sanctions-special-rapporteur-francesca-albanese-threaten-human-rights-system
February 25, 2024, Aaron Bushnell, 25, Serviceman, U.S.Air Force, made headlines when he self-immolated outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. Before he disappeared in the fire, he shouted, ‘Free Palestine!’
…. “This act, deeply rooted in his personal convictions, was a protest against the ongoing conflict in Gaza Strip, Palestine. Clad in his Air Force uniform, Aaron sought to symbolize the solidarity of those who believe in the sanctity of human life and the necessity for peace, even amidst geopolitical turmoil.” hxxps://www.chess.com/blog/bringhereyes/remembering-aaron-bushnell-a-life-lived-with-conviction-and-courage
…..“A suffering soul on the way to the kingdom of heaven. Shouts on the news, “THEY” are The GODLESS Ones!!!”
The anger inside and the fear that it hides never leave her/him. When the cameras are gone, when the cameras move on.
“Ohhhh, People, come on, tell me, “WHERE is your kingdom of heaven? WHERE is your faith? WHERE do you put your fear? Do you have a price for the truth and a price for believing? Heaven is here, heaven is here.” Melissa Etheridge, “The Kingdom of Heaven.” @ hxxps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w_jxItJPLGo&list=RDw_jxItJPLGo&start_radio=1&pp=oAcB
My favorite so far is the one that says “Your country is run by paedophiles. They want you to die for Israel.” I never laughed so hard.
Iranians have traditionally been a very inspirational and creative people. Explosive Media has only kept that rich tradition. Why does they get punished in an allegedly freedom-respecting Western Social media platform especially when those platforms have themselves degenerated into hosting even blatant geographical obscenities like visualizing the strategic Hormuz Strait as a wide-spread arse awaiting fingering ? What sort of double standard is this ? By comparison, the Iranian Lego-animations have been very artfully executed, I must say.
One of their newest videos can be seen on Youtube, at the end of Janta Ka Reporting’s video for today:
hxxps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_m34i3rDC8
Compares the history of the US with that of Iran.
They’re all on X. Go there.
Is their X channel still working? It tells me that “Explosive Mediaa hasn’t posted”.
I been going to their Instagram, which isn’t great, due to the site’s imposition of vertical video.
My friend who is subscribed to X has been sending me the videos. At first, I was able to watch and hear them. Suddenly, the sound is no longer accessible. The crackdown has begun.
Youthful Iranian computer experts will most likely open a www info megasite. I sure hope so. MeherNews could add a regular feature that goes viral.
ExplosiveMedia’s videos have gotten attention because they are telling the truth! I don’t see them raising any point that “the war was intended to distract people’s attention away from Trump’s connection to Epstein”. That analysis is one that the Democrats would use, in order to distract from the fact that the war was started on behalf of the Zionist so-called state. ExplosiveMedia does a good job depicting both that and the reason why Satanyahu has power over Trump.
” I don’t see them raising any point that “the war was intended to distract people’s attention away from Trump’s connection to Epstein”. ”
Explosive Media does precisely that on Youtube, at the end of Janta Ka Reporting’s video for today:
hxxps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_m34i3rDC8
My view is that the goal of the war is to stunt China’s growth via control of the oil supply.
Nope. That EM video makes the point that the war was started on behalf of Satanyahu. That is different from saying that Trump started the war to distract from his ties to Epstein. One narrative shows that the Zionists control the US’s decision to go to war against Iran, while the other one, the one that the Democrats would use, says that the war was solely started by Trump, that the Zionists had nothing to do with it.
I agree with your last point.
I just saw a France 24 clip covering ExplosiveMedia’s videos. This one too claims that many of the videos “depict Donald Trump as having started this war to distract from his ties to Jeffery Epstein”. It also claims that the videos “aren’t factually accurate”.
hxxps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aOfOWzfRA0
Clip starts at 13:08
Every point made in EM’s videos is, in fact, accurate. France 24’s coverage of EM’s videos is carefully worded to hide Zionism’s control over the US govt. The presenter is reading all of her message, from cards that the producers gave her.
100%!! “People are disengaging from some of the real conflict content and looking for something that can distill what’s happening quickly and in a language and tone that they understand, and that’s what those Lego videos are doing,” Moustafa Ayad, a researcher with the Institute of Strategic Dialogue. Imo, “All, hail”, Explosion Media: however, “It’s NOT over til” the “Rainbow Girls” sing…. “This goes out to” Trump-Vance, Inc.,/Israel:
….. “If, Jesus Christ came back today, like you threaten, he will. Which poor group of people, do you think that he would kill? Who Would Jesus choose to starve, if, you gave him the chance; and, if, there was a genocide, would he take a neutral stance?
Who would Jesus Bomb? Tell me, who would Jesus bomb? Would it be kids in Palestine or how about Vietnam? Would Jesus bomb the atheist, the Muslims or the Jews? I want you, to ask yourself, “what would Jesus do?” Rainbow Girls.
hxxps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lQa3JvF7GKU&list=RDlQa3JvF7GKU&start_radio=1&pp=ygUiUmFpbmJvdyBHaXJscyBXaG8gV291bGQgSmVzdXMgQm9tP6AHAQ%3D%3D
Hi LeoSun. I hadn’t heard of the Rainbow Girls. I like their music. And i think Jesus would probably bomb the ancient Romans.
Awh, Valerie, likewise, “I hadn’t’ heard of the Rainbow Girls,” either. Seriously. Norman text’d this tune to me, the night before, this Column was published! My first thought was fkn yeah, Solidarity “LIVES!”
‘Let there be songs, to fill the air!!!” TY, Valerie, “Keep It Lit!”
Super powers usually excel at making a mockery of themselves.
These Lego videos are brilliant. Corporate culture is so lame. Can’t have the empire’s victims outshining its brain cell killing propaganda with brilliance.
Hear, hear. I love the videos.
Terrific. That clear and cogent information not muddied by MSM’s purposeful confusion is preferred is no surprise whatsoever. It’s why I turn to consortiumnews.com.
Explosive Media, alongside the likes of Dr. Phoxotic, have provided a lot of welcome cynical humor in these deeply troubled times.