Washington: The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has reached out directly to Iranians amidst the country’s internal unrest, posting a message on its X platform in Persian. The agency is urging Iranians to contact them securely, signaling a notable move in its efforts to gather intelligence and offer support to potential informants.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the message included instructions for secure online communication, accompanied by a short video detailing encrypted communication methods. This initiative marks one of the CIA’s most overt attempts to engage with Iranian protesters in their native language, reminiscent of similar strategies employed by the Israeli Mossad. However, it remains rare for a US agency to take such a direct approach.

The CIA’s outreach seems to be strategically aimed at collecting intelligence on Iran’s nuclear and military activities, as well as on internal opposition groups. This effort mirrors a broader trend among intelligence agencies, including MI6 and Mossad, which have increasingly turned to open messaging on online platforms to establish secure communication channels with potential sources.

In an extension of similar initiatives, in October 2024, the CIA had also disseminated information in Chinese, Korean, and Persian. These communications provided guidance on how to securely reach the agency through both its public and dark web sites, underscoring the CIA’s commitment to establishing secure, direct lines of communication with individuals in countries of interest.