Pro-Iran propaganda network gains traction with fake video depicting Trump with Epstein
Portrait of American financier Jeffrey Epstein (left) and real estate developer Donald Trump as they pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate, Palm Beach, Florida, 1997. (Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)
A grainy video circulating online appears to show a line of blindfolded young girls walking past an underwear-clad President Donald Trump. In the clip, a distressed voice can be heard speaking German. The footage then cuts to scenes of Trump and other well-known figures speaking with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“This video is not fake,” claimed a post on X from an account called HDX News, which accumulated more than 6.8 million views. The post alleged that “these pedophile perverts started a war so that this wouldn’t be talked about.”
However, disinformation researchers say the video is fabricated. They also say the account promoting it appears to be part of a pro-Iran propaganda network that has gained viral attention by amplifying conspiracy theories claiming Trump attacked Iran to distract the public from discussions about Epstein-related files.
According to researchers, Iranian state media has attempted to weaken public support for the joint U.S.–Israel military campaign by portraying the countries’ leaders as members of a corrupt “Epstein class” or “Epstein regime.” Although such messaging often fails to gain traction beyond Iran, analysts say it is now spreading through generic-looking “news” accounts that appear designed to reach international audiences.
“There is a lot of Epstein-related content being pushed out to draw eyeballs,” said Bret Schafer, director of U.S. research and policy at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD). “You come for the Epstein content, and you stay for the propaganda.”
The Epstein-related posts are part of a broader wave of misinformation about Iran that has flooded social media since Feb. 28. On that date, military strikes by the United States and Israel reportedly killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking a wider conflict across the Middle East. Alongside authentic footage from the fighting, social platforms have been flooded with dramatic videos showing missile strikes, downed fighter jets, and massive explosions. Many of these clips have attracted millions of views on platforms such as X, TikTok, Instagram, and Telegram before being debunked as AI-generated videos, recycled footage from older conflicts, or scenes taken from video games.
Researchers at ISD say HDX News is part of a network of at least 15 anonymous X accounts that frequently post content aligned with messaging from Iran’s Islamist government and regularly amplify each other’s posts. Another account in the network, GPX News, shared the same fabricated Epstein video — which combines AI-generated imagery with real footage — and received more than 4.7 million views based on X’s public metrics.
“The White House is aware of attempts by the Iranian regime to influence public opinion in the United States,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Monday. She added that officials have repeatedly warned about fake news being exploited by hostile actors to spread propaganda.
After being contacted for comment, X suspended both HDX News and GPX News, although several other accounts identified by researchers remained active as of Monday. The company did not provide additional comment beyond requesting examples of the posts and accounts.
Schafer said it is still unclear whether the accounts are directly connected to the Iranian government or simply support it. However, he noted that the messaging they shared strongly favored the Iranian regime.
Posts from the network included claims of successful Iranian attacks on American and Israeli targets, messages urging followers to “stand with Iran,” and suggestions that China and Russia could support Iran in a larger global conflict. According to ISD researchers, all 15 accounts were created within the past two years, and nine of them held verified status on X. Verified users pay a subscription fee for features that can include greater visibility, a blue checkmark, and the ability to earn revenue from their posts.
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