The video going around that is supposedly from Iran's state-run media has created a lot of buzz, which brings up an interesting topic we don't talk about enough.
Middle-Eastern terrorist groups, whether they're established governments or just conquering jihadists, are masters of manipulation, specifically when it comes to Western social media.
Their ability to cause confusion and chaos within America without firing a shot is actually a pretty serious issue, and for two reasons.
Firstly, Islamic terrorist groups have more than proven they're willing to do what they can to take as many American lives as possible, whether it's a mass shooting, or flying planes into buildings.
Secondly, their reach is far larger than it should be because the American legacy media is willing and ready to carry the narratives they produce, and this especially happens when the president is someone they are fundamentally against.
Now, we have what appears to be a message from an Iranian state-run account (this remains unconfirmed) which gives us the message that "There is a surprise tonight that the world will remember for centuries," with a video of a hand petting what's clearly a toy nuclear bomb like a cat.
ربما..
— إيران بالعربية (@iraninarabic_ir) June 17, 2025
Maybe pic.twitter.com/tB02PrPbp1
Read: Watch: Iran Threatens 'Surprise' the 'World Will Remember for Centuries,' Puts Out Disturbing Video
Side note: The more I watch this video, the funnier it gets. Something about someone petting a nuclear bomb like it's a beloved pet makes it look more like satire than a threat. The responses in the comments only make the video funnier. You should definitely go see them, just be warned, they aren't all "E for Everyone."
If this was a legitimate threat from the Iranian government, it's important to understand that this wasn't directed toward the U.S. government or Donald Trump, neither of whom would be swayed by this kind of display. In fact, Trump probably has more intelligence on Iran than Iran has on itself, and I'm pretty sure Iran knows that. Any threats would ring somewhat hollow.
No, this was meant for you.
The way Middle Eastern terrorist groups work is that a good deal of their power doesn't come from bullets or missiles, but from their ability to inject either fear or sympathy into Western populations. For instance, a large part of Hamas's war against Israel was consistently releasing pictures and video of injured or dead children supposedly brought on by Israeli attacks.
If Hamas can convince you into believing that Israel truly is an evil nation that murders children with little to no remorse, and bombs schools and hospitals because they're genocidal like that, then they have an ally in the states that will demonstrate on their behalf, make guilt-inducing arguments to infect others, and hopefully cause you to see the Republican Party as evil enough to be cast out for its support of Israel.
The legacy media will do its part and relay these videos and messages to the American people, all while demonizing Trump and the Republicans, giving you the impression that Hamas might very well be the good guy in the fight.
In the case of this supposed Iranian video, they're doing the same thing, but taking a different path. It's threatening a nuclear bomb that could be used in any number of ways. Are they going to nuke Israel? An American base? Will they try to send an ICBM to America? Is the nuke already here, hidden away in some highly populated city and ready to detonate when Iran flicks the switch?
That's for you to wonder and be scared about.
The hope is that this fear will cause you to sour in your confidence and begin turning your attitudes against conflict with Iran in any capacity. Perhaps we'll start collectively pressuring Trump to not be so aggressive. Maybe we even start diminishing his support for the war, and maybe we even start looking negatively at the Republican Party following him.
Maybe in the midterms, we vote in Democrats who proclaim they want peaceful resolutions with Iran, giving Iran the wiggle room it needs to play Democrats like they always do and get ahead.
This is all mind games.
To be clear, I don't think we should wholly dismiss the threat. It may very well be real, and we should definitely err on the side of caution. However, Iran doesn't just want you cautious, it wants you to back down to avoid what it's broadcasting will be real repercussions if you don't.
Be aware of the game they're playing, who's helping them play it, and understand that the real threat is buying into the fear they're trying to sell you.
