Ben Stiller slams White House for using his film in pro-war video

Ben Stiller has hit out at the White House for using one of his films in a controversial pro-war video.

The rest of the world has been on edge since Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu teamed up to launch strikes on Iran recently, but the US government has stuck to a supremely confident attitude on both social media and in press conferences.

Trump previously suggested that the war could be over in a matter of weeks, despite Iran launching retaliatory strikes, and that was reflected in a recent video posted by the official White House account.

The video used clips from a number of iconic movies including Gladiator, Top Gun and Superman, captioning the short video: "Justice the American way."

It isn't the first time that the White House has used clips without the permission of the original creators, with Jess Glynne hitting out at a video which used her song to portray the deportation of immigrants in America, while the account even used the 'Gotta Catch Them All' Pokemon theme song in a similarly-themed video.

And now Ben Stiller has hit out at the administration after they used his film Tropic Thunder in the clip, writing: "Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip. We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie."

Although he's previously admitted that the film is by far his most controversial, due to the depiction of Robert Downey Jr in 'blackface', he also suggested that he's proud of it and therefore it's easy to see why he wouldn't want it to be associated with the White House video which perhaps makes light of the current climate.

And Stiller, who has gone on to direct other projects such as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Zoolander 2 and Severance, wasn't the only person who felt let down by the video.

Journalist Séamus Malekafzali wrote, “I don’t think a more embarrassing and humiliating thing has ever been produced before by any government in human history. I somehow might be underselling it.”

ABC Saturday Extra host Nick Bryant posted: “Are there any grown ups in the White House? Is there any understanding of the seriousness and horror of war? This is frat house not White House.”

The popular satirical Evan Loves Worf account added: “This is the most ‘everyone is 12’ s**t I’ve ever seen.”

Iran strikes: what you need to know

Why are the United States and Israel attacking Iran?

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday (28 February) that the US and Israel have started 'major combat operations' in Iran after explosions were heard in multiple cities across the country.

Following a significant buildup of US forces in the region in recent weeks, Trump declared in a video posted on Truth Social that 'we are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground'.

Alongside hundreds of civilian casualties - including at least 165 people, most children, after a reported strike hit a school in Minab - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed dead following Israeli missile strikes around Tehran.

According to Trump, the aim of this weekend's attacks were to 'ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon'.

This has come after weeks of Trump threatening military action in Iran if the Middle Eastern country did not agree to a new deal over its nuclear programme. However, Iran has insisted repeatedly that its nuclear activities are 'entirely peaceful'.

What areas of the Middle East have been affected?

In retaliation to the US and Israeli strikes, Iran has launched strikes of its own on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, which include Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait.

The BBC reports that at least nine people were killed in a strike on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, while military and civilian targets - including an American naval base in Bahrain and Dubai's international airport in the United Arab Emirates - were also targeted across the weekend.

Several videos have been posted on social media from tourists and civilians that show the damage inflicted across these areas from missile and drone strikes, including many British citizens who are currently stranded in Dubai.

Meanwhile, after Lebanon's Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah fired missiles at the Israeli city of Haifa, Israel responded with its own strikes.

On Tuesday (3 March), Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz promised IDF troops on the ground would 'advance and seize additional strategic areas in Lebanon in order to prevent fire on Israeli border communities'.

Is the UK going to war with Iran?

This is a question that has been asked repeatedly since the major combat operation began in Iran, due to the nation being an ally of both the United States and Israel.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that British planes were 'in the sky' in the Middle East as part of a defensive operation 'to protect our people, our interests and our allies', and condemned Iran's retaliatory attacks on 'partners across the region'.

On Sunday (1 March), the prime minister also agreed to a request from the US to launch strikes against Iran from British military bases.

While the UK did not participate in the strikes, Starmer released a joint statement with the leaders of France and Germany, calling for Iran to 'refrain from indiscriminate military strikes'.

"Iran can end this now," Starmer said. "They should refrain from further strikes, give up their weapons programme and cease the appalling violence and oppression of the Iranian people – who deserve the right to determine their own future."

However, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Yvette Cooper, has said it is 'simply not true' that the UK is being dragged into another Iraq-style conflict in the Middle East.

While addressing a reported drone strike on a RAF base in Cyprus believed to have originated from Iran-backed militia Hezbollah, she told Sky News on Monday, 2 March: "We took a very specific decision not to provide support for strikes that were taking place over this weekend. We have been clear that we believe there should be a diplomatic process, negotiations process."

Trump, for his part, slammed Starmer on Tuesday, saying he 'has not been helpful' in the context of the situation in Iran.

He added: "It's very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was."

LADbible group has contacted the White House for comment.