Iran mines US troops’ social media as military considers seizing cellphones

Some U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East may soon be ordered to surrender their cellphones as military leaders warn that Iran is using photos and videos posted online to assess where its strikes landed and potentially improve follow-up attacks, Reuters first reported Wednesday.

Some service members stationed in Jordan have been told their phones will be confiscated in the coming days, two sources familiar with the matter told the outlet. A third source said cellphone restrictions were being considered more broadly across the region because of operational security concerns but did not describe the move as certain.

Any crackdown would force U.S. military commanders to balance operational security against troops’ reliance on cellphones to communicate with their families during wartime.

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U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the military command that leads U.S. military operations in the Middle East, confirmed to Fox News Digital that commander Adm. Brad Cooper sent the internal message described in the report but declined to release it publicly.

“The message is a general reminder to our service members on the importance of maintaining operational security,” CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said. “This is one of many opportunities Admiral Cooper has used to convey operational priorities.”

A defense official declined to tell Fox News Digital whether personnel had been ordered to surrender their phones or whether wider restrictions were under consideration, saying CENTCOM does not discuss force-protection tactics and techniques for operational security reasons.

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The message warned that online posts were giving Iran near-real-time information about whether its missile and drone attacks had succeeded, according to Reuters, which obtained a copy.

Iran can search news reports and social media for reactions, photos and cellphone footage showing where its weapons landed, Cooper reportedly wrote.

“The direct, unavoidable cost of this open-source intelligence could be measured in the lives of American service members,” Cooper warned.

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Cooper reportedly pointed to footage posted online during the July 17 Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, which killed Pvt. Isabella Gonzales and fatally wounded 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan. Sgt. Angel Rampersad also is believed to have been killed in the attack. 

The footage, captured using a service member’s Meta smart glasses, showed troops running for shelter and where the individual evacuated.

Without such information, Iran could have difficulty determining whether its weapons missed, struck an empty area or hit a populated facility, Cooper wrote. Publicly available details can effectively provide Iran with a battle-damage assessment and help it plan more devastating follow-up attacks, he warned.

Cellphone rules vary widely across the military. Personal devices already are prohibited during some sensitive missions and inside classified areas, while sailors at sea often lack ordinary cellular service. Many troops stationed at established overseas bases, however, often retain use of their phones.

The concern raised in Cooper’s message is distinct from another cellphone-related vulnerability reported by Fox News Digital in June — adversaries’ potential access to commercially available location data generated by smartphones, apps and advertising networks.

CENTCOM told lawmakers it had received “multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater.”

A bipartisan group led by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., subsequently accused the Pentagon of failing to take basic precautions against the threat posed by data brokers, which collect and sell information about users’ movements.

The lawmakers said adversaries could potentially use that information to identify military installations, monitor troop movements or track individual service members. They urged the Pentagon to disable advertising identifiers on government-issued smartphones and direct personnel to take similar precautions on personal devices.

Justin Sherman, CEO of research and advisory firm Global Cyber Strategies, previously told Fox News Digital that foreign adversaries could obtain cellphone location data through brokers, digital advertising networks and other commercial systems.

“The sale of location data, in particular on Americans’ devices, puts military personnel at risk,” Sherman said, calling it “a serious national security threat.”

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While the earlier warning focused on information collected and sold by commercial companies, Cooper’s message addressed material posted publicly, including footage that can reveal where troops sought shelter and whether Iranian strikes hit their intended targets.

The Pentagon referred Fox News Digital to CENTCOM when asked for comment. Iran’s Mission to the United Nations in New York could not immediately be reached for comment.