The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) launched a social media campaign on 25/2, posting Farsi instructions on X, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and YouTube. The posts call for Iranians seeking to establish contact with the agency to take protective measures, advising against using work computers or personal phones.
The guidelines emphasize security, recommending the use of new, single-use devices whenever possible. Potential contacts are urged to remain vigilant, mindful of anyone who might observe their screen or activities. The CIA also requests details such as location, name, title, and any "access to information or skills" that might be of interest.
To ensure secure communication, the agency advises using a virtual private network (VPN) that is not based in Russia, Iran, or China, or utilizing the Tor network for data encryption and IP address concealment.
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People walk on a street in Tehran, Iran, on 2/1. *Reuters*
This initiative marks the latest in a series of ongoing CIA operations to recruit intelligence sources in countries including Iran, China, North Korea, and Russia.
The recruitment drive coincides with a significant US military deployment to the Middle East. At the time, President Donald Trump had indicated a willingness to consider military action against Iran if negotiations failed to produce an agreement on Tehran's nuclear program.
During his State of the Union address on the evening of 24/2, President Trump reiterated his preference for resolving tensions with Iran through diplomatic means. However, he did not dismiss the possibility of military intervention to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
Trump accused Iran of developing missiles capable of threatening Europe and US overseas bases, and of actively working to build missiles that could reach the US mainland.
The US President expressed belief that Iran sought to "restart" its nuclear program and continued to pursue "dark nuclear ambitions." This stance was maintained despite Tehran's consistent claims that its atomic energy program is solely for peaceful purposes.
In a related diplomatic effort, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were scheduled to meet an Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in Geneva, Switzerland, today for a new round of nuclear discussions.
