Reports claim that ordinary Iranians may be secretly helping Israel strike targets deep inside Tehran, turning smartphones and social media into weapons in a shadow war unfolding in the heart of the Islamic Republic.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Israeli military planners have been receiving target information directly from people on the ground inside Iran. These individuals are said to be sending details in Persian through Israeli-linked social media accounts, pinpointing locations of regime security forces and Basij militia checkpoints.
A senior Israeli security official told the newspaper that the information is carefully verified by Israeli intelligence before any strike is ordered. But once confirmed, it can quickly turn into lethal action.
On 11 March night, under the cover of darkness, an Israeli Hermes unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) reportedly struck Basij checkpoints in Tehran, delivering a sudden and devastating blow to the regime’s internal security forces.
Iranian state media confirmed that Israeli drones targeted checkpoints across the capital. The strikes reportedly killed several members of Iran’s security forces, including personnel linked to the Basij militia, which is used by the government to enforce order and crush dissent.
Other reports circulating within Iran claimed that multiple regime security personnel were killed in the attacks, raising questions about how Israeli forces were able to locate the targets so precisely inside one of the world’s most heavily monitored cities.
Covert Operation in Iran
If confirmed, the alleged use of civilian-supplied intelligence would mark a dramatic escalation in Israel’s covert operations against Iran. Instead of relying solely on satellites, spies, or electronic surveillance, Israeli forces may now be tapping into a hidden network of informants living inside the country itself.
Such a system would mean that any phone, message, or social media post could potentially become part of Israel’s targeting network, turning Iran’s own population into an unpredictable intelligence source.
Iranian authorities have long warned about “internal collaborators” working with foreign intelligence services, and these reports could fuel an intense crackdown as the regime searches for suspected informants.
The idea that citizens inside Iran may be helping guide Israeli drones to regime forces threatens not only military security but also the government’s claim of total control.