The White House just dropped bizarre highlight reel of US strikes on Iran, baffling millions with its animated intro

The White House just stirred up a massive, if confused, conversation on X after sharing a highlight video of recent U.S. strikes on Iran. Millions of people are talking about the bizarre footage that kicks off the reel, a snippet from the video game Call of Duty (COD). 

This new video, posted on Wednesday, starts with an animation from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. We’re talking about a player activating a “Mass Guided Bomb killstreak” bonus. Per TMZ, after that gaming intro, the video cuts directly to real footage of the launching of U.S. missiles, and it hitting presumably Iranian targets, showcasing the actual military operation.

If you aren’t a gamer, a killstreak in COD is a special bonus you get when you rack up a bunch of eliminations, or kills, without getting taken out yourself. This specific “COD” animation, the White House used, shows a player hitting 30 straight kills without dying, which unlocks a massive missile strike designed to wipe out the opposing team. 

I am confused. I can’t decide if this is distasteful or just stupid

U.S. Central Command released the actual missile footage that follows the gaming intro. It clearly shows missiles striking targets in Iran during the military operation, giving a real-world look at the events. However, the video was released on the same day that Iran held a funeral to grieve the hundreds of school children killed in the initial strikes. 

This video has definitely raised plenty of eyebrows, and it’s creating some major buzz across social media. By Thursday morning, it had already pulled in more than 36 million views on X, proving that it’s hitting a nerve and getting people to engage. 

Now, as a gamer myself, I will admit that I am biased towards anything that uses or leverages games well. I was even pumped to find out that Japan has e-sports competitions for seniors, too, because it shows the enduring impact of games. However, I have, from the beginning, been very thrown off by the Trump administration’s usage of some of my favorite franchises to try to be relevant to the public. 

The Department of Homeland Security previously used the “Pokémon” theme song, “Gotta Catch ’Em All,” in the background of a video showing ICE raids. They also used an image from the popular game “Halo” in a recruiting post. 

Pokémon was quick to respond, saying that they did not give DHS permission to use the theme song. Microsoft, however, never responded to the usage of Halo imagery. Now, we just have to wait and see what Activision, the creators of “Call of Duty,” thinks about their game footage being used in this way.