Iran’s cyber police chief has warned that citizens' daily phone conversations with relatives may be monitored, as authorities intensify surveillance efforts in the aftermath of the recent conflict with Israel.
Vahid Majid, head of Iran’s Cyber Police (FATA), told the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency that unknown applications with unauthorized access could control smart devices and provide sensitive information to “cyber criminals or foreign enemies,” News.Az reports.
“These days, even ordinary phone calls with relatives inside or outside the country may be monitored,” Majid said. “If someone asks you about the situation in your area or events around you, your answer should be cautious and, if possible, ‘I don’t know.’”
The warning came as Iranian citizens received text messages on Thursday from the Revolutionary Guard Intelligence Organization, asking them to report “suspicious activities” to the agency’s phone numbers.
The messages claimed there has been “exemplary cooperation and assistance” from citizens with the Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence arm in recent days.
Some citizens also reported receiving text messages containing excerpts from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s third video message about Iran’s “victory” in the military confrontation with Israel. The video was released from an undisclosed location.
Iran’s cyber police announced that “all public reports are reviewed confidentially,” and that special teams are operating to urgently handle “security cases and suspicious matters.”
Since the start of the Iran-Israel war, the Islamic Republic has executed six prisoners accused of “cooperation with Israel,” including three executions carried out just one day after accepting the ceasefire.
The main building of Iran’s Cyber Police was targeted during Israeli air force attacks on Tehran in the first week of the war.
