CIA Boosts Iran Recruitment on Social Media
The United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has intensified its outreach to Iranians by launching new recruitment messages in Farsi across multiple social media platforms.
This push comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with President Donald Trump signaling possible military action should nuclear negotiations fail.
On February 25, 2026, the CIA released instructions in Farsi via its accounts on X, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and YouTube, encouraging Iranians interested in securely contacting the agency to take protective measures.
The guidance advises potential contacts to avoid using work computers or personal phones and urges the use of new, disposable devices where possible. It also highlights the importance of situational awareness to avoid surveillance.
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The agency further recommends using trusted Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) headquartered outside Iran, Russia, and China or employing the Tor Network, which encrypts data and conceals IP addresses, to maintain security. The CIA also seeks specific information from contacts, such as locations, names, job titles, and access to relevant skills or information.
This effort is a continuation of the CIA’s broader strategy to recruit sources in countries including Iran, China, North Korea, and Russia. The CIA declined to comment further on the initiative, and Iran’s delegation to the United Nations had not issued a response at the time of reporting.
The recruitment campaign aligns with a period of heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, particularly over Tehran’s nuclear program. President Trump underscored his administration’s hardline approach during his recent State of the Union address, referring to Iran as the “world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism” and warning against allowing the country to obtain nuclear weapons. Tehran denies any intention to develop a nuclear arsenal.
Meanwhile, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are slated to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and other Iranian officials in Geneva on February 27 for a new round of nuclear negotiations. Trump has imposed an ultimatum, threatening military action if talks do not yield an agreement or if Iran carries out executions of individuals arrested during recent anti-government protests.
The protests, which erupted in January 2026, represent the most significant unrest since Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979. Human rights organizations report that thousands of protesters have been killed in a severe government crackdown.