Japan's foreign affairs minister Toshimitsu Motegi publicly criticized the White House for using Nintendo Wii Sports footage without permission in a social media post promoting the Iran War. The incident reflects ongoing tension over the Trump administration's use of video game IP in military marketing campaigns — the White House has been using unlicensed clips from Pokémon, Halo, Smash Bros., and Call of Duty since 2025, sparking complaints from both game publishers and Japanese officials. This suggests the White House's approach to viral marketing for the Iran conflict is backfiring diplomatically, particularly with allied nations protective of their intellectual property rights.