Foreign Influence Exposed: How Non-U.S. Social Media Accounts Shape the Narrative on Iran Conflict

Foreign social media accounts could be shaping negative narratives about the U.S.-Iran conflict, raising concerns about misinformation and public perception.

A report by Pew Research Center on March 25 indicates that a significant number of Americans are against U.S. military involvement in Iran. According to their survey, about 61 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict, while 37 percent express approval.

Furthermore, by a margin of almost two-to-one, more of the survey’s participants believe military action is not progressing well—45 percent compared to the 25 percent who think it is going extremely or very well.

But is someone shaping this narrative? On X, foreign users are certainly influencing the way the conflict is perceived. A recent analysis published on conservative political commentator Glenn Beck’s website of more than 1,000 viral English-language posts may offer valuable insights into who is crafting the narrative.

These posts, published between February 28 and March 13, showed a significant influence from accounts based outside the U.S. In his opinion, these accounts, along with the groups or governments behind them, are significantly steering the conversation on X, inundating it with “inflammatory and demoralizing propaganda,” which can alter public perception and sentiment.

Mauro, a national security analyst and founder of The Mauro Institute, spoke to The Gateway Pundit about his discovery. He shared that, according to his research, “more than half, specifically 559 out of 1,000, of the viral X posts written in English about Iran come from abroad. These 559 posts garnered more than 650 million views and accumulated nearly 22 million total interactions, including reposts, likes, and replies. For him, “This engagement underscores the power of social media to amplify certain narratives.”

Interestingly, a random selection of 150 posts from the thousand viral X posts showed that 108 (72%) were negative, whereas only 40 (27%) were positive. The non-U.S. portion of that random selection showed a significantly negative response, with 64 percent expressing negativity and only 10 percent showing positivity. According to Mauro, this imbalance alone raises questions about the authenticity of the discourse surrounding the issue.

“In numerous instances,” he said, “users located in the U.S. parroted messages from the Iranian government and its sympathizers. Their posts frequently cite hostile non-U.S. users and mention propagandistic content from abroad, suggesting a concerning trend of American users unwittingly sharing misinformation that aligns with foreign agendas.”

What’s more, the analysis reveals two primary narratives that arise from the negative posts. “The first suggests that a Zionist conspiracy manipulated, bribed, or coerced President Trump into initiating Operation Epic Fury,” Mauro offered.

“The second narrative claims that the military campaign serves as a deceptive ‘Wag the Dog’ distraction intended to shift focus away from purported evidence linking Trump to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and to address his dwindling approval ratings.” Such narratives not only complicate the political landscape but also heighten tensions and deepen divisions, said Mauro.

Despite the unfavorable narrative spreading on the internet, Republicans continue to back Trump’s actions against Iran. According to The POLITICO Poll, 81 percent of those identifying as MAGA support him, while 61 percent of non-MAGA individuals also express their support. For Mauro, this steadfast backing reflects a broader divide in public opinion, with party loyalty often overshadowing the complexities of foreign policy.

Learn more about Mauro’s analysis by clicking here.

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