Suspected Israeli online operations cause alarm in Iran and Lebanon

Suspected online espionage triggers intense security crackdowns and counter-intelligence measures in Iran and Lebanon. Save Share Israeli intelligence services are believed to be turning to social media to gather information and recruit potential informants in Lebanon and Iran, according to security experts, using online advertisements and appeals tailored to local audiences. One Instagram account, presenting itself as belonging to Israel’s foreign intelligence agency Mossad, has published Arabic-language messages encouraging people to make contact through confidential channels. The account, which is verified and operates under the handle @themossad_official, has posted recruitment appeals in colloquial Lebanese Arabic, including inviting people to explore new opportunities by initiating a private conversation. The profile prominently features pinned highlight reels with Arabic titles such as “Lebanon” displaying a photo of fighters, “Israel”, “Mossad wants you!”, “Protection”, and “Think about your future”. In August 2025, Lebanon’s General Security Directorate warned residents against interacting with the Instagram account. In Lebanon, where years of economic turmoil have left many residents facing financial hardship, security officials have warned of suspected Israeli intelligence recruitment efforts involving social media. In January 2025, the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar reported that Israeli intelligence operatives were attempting to recruit Lebanese citizens through fake job advertisements offering high salaries, and through direct outreach on WhatsApp. Retired Brigadier General Mounir Chehade told the newspaper that the recruitment efforts targeted areas with significant support for Hezbollah, including Beirut’s southern suburbs, southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. Also in January 2025, Lebanon’s General Security Directorate warned against interacting with a Facebook page called SAWA, which it suspected was a Mossad front aimed at recruiting Lebanese citizens. Similarly, in December 2025, another Lebanese newspaper L’Orient Today reported that the security agency had warned residents against interacting with a social media page calling itself “Unit 504”. The page claimed to represent the Israeli military’s human intelligence unit and said it was looking for individuals interested in joining its ranks. The concerns have been accompanied by arrests of people accused of passing sensitive information to Israel....