YouTube has terminated a channel belonging to a pro-Iran group producing viral Lego-themed AI videos that ridicule US President Donald Trump, the Google-owned platform said Wednesday, sparking online criticism.
Explosive Media, a group of pro-Tehran creators that 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.
“We terminated the channel for violating our spam, deceptive practices and scams policies,” a YouTube spokesman told AFP, without elaborating.
The channel was suspended on March 27, he added.
Our YouTube channel just got taken down again for “violent content.”
Seriously! are our LEGO-style animations actually violent?
— Explosive Media (@ExplosiveMediaa) April 9, 2026
Explosive Media was still posting videos mocking the US war effort on other tech platforms, including the Elon Musk-owned X and Telegram.
Meta-owned Instagram also took down the group’s account, US media reported, but another account under its name was still active on Wednesday.
Meta did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.
Lashing out at YouTube, Explosive Media wrote on X: “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 way to crush imperialism has been shown to the world.
Trump Surrendered.
IRAN WON.
TACO will always remain TACO. pic.twitter.com/c3nXgTYznq
— Explosive Media (@ExplosiveMediaa) April 8, 2026
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.
