Trump Administration Uses Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to Promote Military Operation in Iran

The White House is promoting the ongoing strikes on Iran with a video that combines Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 gameplay and real-world military footage, sparking some vocal online backlash. The move adds to the list of instances in which the Trump administration has used video game visuals in official communications, though it is the first time it has done so with a Call of Duty title.

The United States and Israel have been launching joint strikes on Iran since February 28. Washington officials offered multiple justifications for the attacks. Among the most frequently cited reasons was the claim that Iran had restarted its nuclear program and was developing long-range missiles capable of striking the U.S. Some cited U.S. intelligence but provided no specifics. “After Midnight Hammer, they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, and in particular nuclear weapons, yet they continue,” President Trump said in his 2026 State of the Union address, held four days before the attacks began. Midnight Hammer was a series of strikes the United States conducted against Iran in June 2025.

On March 4, the White House’s verified X account shared a 66-second clip largely composed of unclassified footage showing strikes on various Iranian military targets, captioned “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue.” The video starts with gameplay footage from the 2023 shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, depicting the activation of a match-ending MGB Killstreak. The entire montage plays out to the beat of Childish Gambino’s 2011 debut single Bonfire.

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The Trump administration’s Iran post has sparked vocal backlash on social media. “If this was a parody account, it would be spectacular,” one Reddit user wrote on March 5, adding, “Unfortunately, this is our real lives and a lack of professionalism from the highest level of our government.” The original X post prompted numerous responses describing the video as everything from “cringe” to “inappropriate.” Some commenters took particular issue with using video games to promote military action, arguing it communicates a lack of seriousness. “A video game? Is that what this is to you?” asked one Twitter user, echoing that sentiment.

Former Call of Duty Dev Criticizes the White House’s Iran Post

Former Call of Duty developer Chance Glasco criticized the White House’s post but said he was not surprised by it. “I remember after Activision took over following the formation of Respawn there was very awkward pressure from Activision for us to make the next CoD about Iran attacking Israel,” the industry veteran wrote on X. Glasco, one of Infinity Ward’s original staff, said most of the studio’s developers were “disgusted by the idea,” which was eventually rejected. The post-Respawn period he referenced places the anecdote in 2010 or shortly thereafter.

While online reactions to the White House’s Iran video appear to skew negative, there is also no shortage of dissenting opinions. Even some netizens who say they are not supporters of the current administration argue that Call of Duty has long glorified the U.S. military, adding that they do not see the post as significantly different in that respect. Nevertheless, the willingness to use titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in public messaging seemingly clashes with President Trump’s track record of blaming video games for real-world violence.

It is unclear whether Activision or its parent company, Microsoft, gave permission for the Modern Warfare 3 footage to be used in White House communications. While this is the first time the Trump administration has used Call of Duty footage, it previously clipped other Microsoft-owned video games, including Minecraft and several Halo titles. Microsoft previously declined to comment on similar government uses of its video games. The ongoing hostilities in the Middle East have resulted in over 1,200 casualties, mostly on the Iran side, according to a March 5 Reuters estimate. Six U.S. service members were killed in Kuwait in early March 2026.