Lego Trump funeral: Iranians target US president at Khamenei's burial

Iranian state media circulated a video showing a Lego doll depicting US President Donald Trump being set on fire, as mourners at Ali Khamenei's burial repeatedly called for Trump's death and burned effigies of the US leader. The burning of the effigy was a sympolic funeral given to the American leader.The clip fits a genre sometimes called "Lego propaganda", short AI-generated animations featuring Lego-like figures that push Islamic Republic narratives. A group called Explosive Media, widely suspected of ties to the Iranian government, has produced a series of such videos that have racked up millions of views during the conflict.One clip depicted Trump with an oversized yellow head and a flaming backside, holding a sign reading "VICTORY! I am a loser." YouTube suspended Explosive Media's account for "violent content" last week. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the ban as a move to suppress "the truth" about the US-Israel war on Iran.The videos tap into US popular culture, portraying Trump as old, isolated and prone to childish tantrums. The genre marks a shift from traditional state propaganda to algorithm-optimised viral content designed for social media.The propaganda push came as Khamenei was laid to rest on Thursday in Mashhad, his birthplace and one of Iran's holiest cities, after six days of funeral ceremonies that drew millions of mourners across Iran and Iraq. His burial prayer was led by Hossein Nouri Hamedani, a 101-year-old hardline cleric. Throughout the ceremonies, Khamenei's son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei remained absent from public view.Catch the latest world news and top headlines. Download the TOI App.