Over the first month of the Iran war, posts from two coordinated pro-Iranian networks on X generated more than a billion views. This staggering figure resulted from sustained engagement with false, misleading and AI-generated content the networks shared about the war. ISD identified the networks, naming them BRICS4CLICKS and Verified4War, by studying account metadata, reposting patterns and similarities in the content they shared.
Accounts in both networks purchased X’s Premium subscription to gain blue check verification, and had their posts amplified by X’s algorithmically curated “For You” feed. Thousands of accounts with more than 50,000 followers shared or replied to posts from these networks, including accounts belonging to Iranian and Russian diplomats. However, ISD has no further evidence that either network is state-backed, and it also remains unclear if the underlying motivations are financial or ideological.
During the time between the data collection period and the writing of this analysis, X has taken down many, but not all, accounts from both networks. However, it is unclear whether the platform was aware that the accounts it deactivated were linked to coordinated networks. Moreover, while this study only looked at X, it is likely that similar inauthentic networks have surfaced on other social media platforms. As debate about the responsibilities of social media platforms in conflicts and crises deepens, these networks demonstrate how a small number of accounts can potentially shape public opinion through coordination and algorithmic amplification.
KEY FINDINGS
ISD identified two similar but distinct networks of pro-Iranian X accounts whose posts received a total of more than 1 billion views in the first month of the war, as well as approximately 16 million likes and 3.5 million reposts. Both networks, which we dubbed BRICS4CLICKS and Verified4War, had roughly 20 accounts. However, that number frequently changed as X removed accounts and new accounts were created.
Multiple Iranian embassies, a Russian diplomat, and commentators for both Iranian and Russian state media shared BRICS4CLICKS content. However, there were no other indications that either network was linked to state-affiliated actors.
The networks shared false and AI-generated content that exaggerated the success of Iran’s war effort and denigrated the United States and Israel. They circulated AI-generated videos of war scenes along with videos and images intended to undermine US and Israeli leaders, including variations of widely circulated claims that US President Donald Trump was attempting to distract attention from the Epstein files and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was killed in Iranian strikes.
Using engagement patterns and metadata, ISD identified links between accounts that revealed clear in-network coordination. Both networks engaged in a high degree of in-network reposting, with at least 80 percent of reposts originating from other accounts within the same network. Accounts across each network also showed consistent patterns in naming conventions, reported location data, and the timing of when they obtained verified status.
The two networks offer insight into the broader proliferation of misleading content on X related to the Iran war. While conducting this research, analysts observed many influential, out-of-network accounts that regularly posted false and AI-generated war content. This highlights how such tactics are not confined to coordinated networks but are used by a broader, more diffuse ecosystem on X.
More at the link