Staff Reports
Iran recently showcased its apparent disdain for the United States and its former president, Donald Trump, by releasing a cringe-worthy CGI video that attempts to illustrate a hypothetical attack on him. The low-budget video posted on an Iranian government site looks like it was crafted by a teenager with some spare time and access to outdated software, demonstrating that while they might be notorious for sponsoring terrorism, Iran’s creativity in propaganda leaves a lot to be desired.
The video seems to be a thinly veiled attempt at inciting fear among the Iranian populace, likely in retaliation for Trump’s orders that led to the elimination of Qasem Soleimani, a high-ranking Iranian military figure. Instead of inciting terror, the amateurish production primarily evokes laughter and pity. Real threats are usually hidden behind layers of secrecy, not paraded about in a subpar video reminiscent of a 90s video game.
This was posted on the Ayatollah’s website.
Truly, terrifyingly chilling. pic.twitter.com/VmILkzdIyM
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) September 25, 2024
While it would be foolish to dismiss Iran’s intentions entirely, the manner of this particular propaganda effort raises eyebrows. Should Iran truly wish to target a former president, they wouldn’t broadcast their plans like an afternoon matinee feature. The expectations for professional operatives would be higher, and the naive amateurism displayed in this video suggests either a severe lack of capability or a desperate need for attention.
Serious geopolitical players understand that if they were to orchestrate an assassination plot against a significant American figure like Trump, the approach would have to be far more covert and calculated. With the U.S.-Mexico border serving as an open conduit for all sorts of threats, the implication that Iran could deploy trained operatives into the country should be a more significant concern for American security. However, skill and precision would be non-negotiable if they attempted something so audacious.
This video, however alarming it may initially seem, deserves to be categorized as a nothing-burger, meant purely for domestic Iranian consumption rather than as a serious threat to Trump or to American security. Iran’s government may harbor ambitions against the U.S., but it appears to be stumbling over its own incompetence. Rather than worrying about what they showcase for propaganda, national security should focus on genuine threats that may arise from their actual actions and intentions. The real danger lies not in their amateurish theatrics but in what they may attempt behind the scenes as they plot their next move.
