The CIA on Tuesday published a new Farsi-language recruitment message aimed at people in Iran, offering what it described as tips for making a secure virtual call to the agency as U.S.-Iran tensions rise and President Donald Trump weighs possible military action.
In the post, the agency wrote in Farsi that it “hears you and wants to help,” and it told viewers: “Here are some tips on how to make a secure virtual call with us,” according to an English translation provided in the report.
The message was shared across multiple social media platforms, appearing on X, Instagram and YouTube, and it drew millions of views within a few hours, according to the Associated Press.
The CIA said its guidance included using a virtual private network, or VPN, to circumvent internet restrictions and surveillance, as well as using a disposable device that it said can’t easily be traced back to the user. The instructions also urged viewers to use private web browsers and to delete their internet history to cover their tracks.
The CIA further included ways to reach the agency, directing potential informants to contact the CIA on its public website or on the darknet, an online area that can be accessed using special tools designed to hide the user’s identity.
The Farsi message follows what the agency said is a broader recruitment effort in multiple languages, including earlier pitches in Korean, Russian and Mandarin. The CIA did not disclose details about the sources that earlier recruitment videos produced, or how the latest tips are expected to work, according to the report.
Director John Ratcliffe previously said the recruitment posts are having an impact, pointing to the Mandarin video campaign he said reached many Chinese citizens. In remarks earlier this month cited by the report, Ratcliffe said: “Last year, CIA’s Mandarin video campaign reached many Chinese citizens, and we know there are many more searching for a way to improve their lives and change their country for the better.”
The new posting comes at what the report described as an especially uneasy time in U.S.-Iran relations. The U.S. has assembled what the report characterized as its largest military force in the Middle East in decades as tensions with Iran have risen, and Trump has threatened military action in response to events including Iran’s crackdown on protests. Trump has also shifted attention to Iran’s disputed nuclear program and warned Iran to make a deal, with another round of nuclear talks planned later this week.
Meanwhile, the report noted unrest inside Iran, saying students held anti-government protests at universities in Tehran on Monday. It also said a spokesperson for Iran’s Mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment about the video.