Iran Deployed Bot Network to Undermine U.S. Support for Military Action
(Worthy News) – Iran orchestrated a covert influence operation using a sprawling bot network to erode American public support for military action targeting its nuclear program, according to a new report cited by Israel Hayom.
The findings, drawn from research commissioned by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, reveal a systematic and technologically advanced campaign aimed at manipulating public opinion during Operation Rising Lion.
The investigation focused on activity on the social media platform X and uncovered at least 100 artificial accounts disseminating hundreds of thousands of messages aligned with Tehran’s strategic messaging. These bots pushed content that praised Iran’s regime, spread false narratives about Israeli military failures, and, most significantly, attempted to turn U.S. public sentiment against President Donald Trump’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
According to the report, the Iranian disinformation network generated more than 241,000 posts, reaching millions of users globally. The accounts operated around the clock with superhuman posting frequency and mirrored each other’s content, clear indicators of an automated, coordinated effort.
The Ministry’s research identified four core themes of Iran’s digital influence campaign: promoting loyalty to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei; disseminating fake news and AI-generated imagery of Israeli defeat; portraying Israel as a terrorist entity committing atrocities; and manipulating American political discourse to sow distrust in President Trump’s foreign policy.
One particularly disturbing finding was the way Iranian bots echoed Republican criticisms of Trump’s military decisions. The accounts circulated antisemitic imagery casting Trump as a puppet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and falsely claimed that Jewish organizations like AIPAC were steering U.S. foreign policy. While the bots mirrored rhetoric from isolationist corners of the American political spectrum, the report found no direct coordination between Iranian operatives and domestic opposition voices.
Tzur Bar-Oz, director of the Ministry’s research division, told Israel Hayom that Iran’s tactics are a continuation of long-standing efforts by hostile actors like Qatar and others to delegitimize Israel. “These messages, once confined to the fringe, are now entering mainstream discourse under the guise of tolerance and liberal openness,” Bar-Oz warned. “If left unchecked, Iran’s messaging could deeply damage Israel’s legitimacy and fracture the historic U.S.-Israel alliance.”
The report underscores the growing role of information warfare in modern conflict and calls for urgent countermeasures to combat hostile influence campaigns targeting democratic societies.
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