How Israel’s Mossad is reaching out to Iranians for intelligence support

People carry a large pre-revolutionary Iranian flag and wave US and Israeli flags as they march along 42nd Street to support regime change in Iran in New York

• Mossad intensifies outreach to ordinary Iranians via social media
• Israel seeks Iranian citizens to aid against Tehran
• Mossad recruits via Telegram, X, and other platforms

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As Israeli fighter jets continue striking targets across Iran, the country’s intelligence agency Mossad has intensified efforts to directly connect with ordinary Iranians, seeking individuals willing to assist in actions against the Islamic republic, according to a report by AFP.

The conflict escalated after Israel and the United States launched a large-scale attack on February 28, killing Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggering a wider regional war. Since then, Tehran has responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries.

Israel’s intelligence operations have played a key role during the conflict, with its military targeting senior figures in Iran’s leadership in recent days. At the same time, Israeli leaders have repeatedly addressed Iranian citizens, weeks after protests in the country were suppressed by authorities.

Mossad’s online outreach

In the weeks leading up to the war, a Persian-language Telegram channel linked to Mossad appeared online. The agency’s official website features a link to the channel, along with recruitment accounts on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn in multiple languages.

A pinned message on the Telegram channel reads, according to AFP, “Welcome! If you have made it here, you probably want to get in touch with us. We are pleased about that. There is a good chance we can work together and achieve our common goals.”

The message also includes step-by-step instructions on how users in Iran can safely establish contact through Telegram or the agency’s website.

Calls for intelligence, past tactics

The channel, which has around 48,000 subscribers, later urged users to share information. “Keep sending your field reports. You are the narrator of the truth. We will continue until victory!” it said in a March 6 post.

Experts say such outreach is part of a long-standing intelligence strategy. Israeli commentator Yossi Melman told AFP that agencies have used similar methods for decades, adapting to available technology.

“They have been doing that kind of work for decades, according to the tools and technology that are available,” he said as quoted by AFP. “Mossad did not invent the wheel. The CIA has been doing it for years.”

Social media push, wider campaign

Separately, an account called “Mossad Farsi” appeared on X months earlier, gaining over 60,000 followers and sharing Persian-language content, including videos by Israeli broadcaster Menashe Amir.

In one of the early videos, Amir said Mossad would provide Iranian citizens with “every possible form of assistance”. He later confirmed that the agency operated the account.

Israel has also used other outreach methods during regional conflicts, including dropping propaganda leaflets in Lebanon during its war with Hezbollah and similar tactics in Gaza.