The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday issued a public message in Persian calling on Iranians worried about the situation in the country — including, it noted, members of the security establishment — to consider contacting Israel’s spy agency Mossad.
The statement, shared on the IDF’s official Persian-language X account, included a link to Mossad’s contact page, where individuals can confidentially share information.
“Dear citizens of Iran. We understand your difficult situation under the harsh conditions created by the regime. In recent days, we have received many messages from people who are worried about the current uncertain future,” the statement said. “Even those who identify themselves as members of the regime’s security institutions have expressed to us their fear, despair, and anger over what is happening in Iran, and have asked us to contact Israeli authorities so that Iran does not suffer the same fate as Lebanon and Gaza.
“At this point, it is necessary to clarify that we are not the appropriate authority for such requests,” the IDF continued. “But the least we can do is refer you through this link to the Mossad website.”
It added: “Maybe you’ll find a new way to improve your situation there. Make sure you only contact us using an external VPN! We understand that you are yearning for a better future.”
The tweet did not offer details about the nature or volume of the messages the military claimed to have received from Iranians. Nor was it immediately clear whether the move signaled a broader intelligence-gathering campaign or a psychological operation aimed at further destabilizing the Iranian regime from within — or both.
The IDF has maintained a Persian-language social media presence for years, mostly aimed at countering Iranian regime narratives. However, the new message marked a rare instance of the Israeli military openly suggesting that foreign nationals — particularly those in enemy states — engage with Mossad, in a possible appeal to would-be defectors or informants.
The Mossad’s secure contact page shared in the tweet is available in Hebrew, Arabic, English and Persian and allows individuals to send the agency a direct message. While it has been public for several years, Israeli authorities have rarely promoted it so explicitly via official channels.
Reactions to the IDF’s Persian message were sharply divided in the comments. Many Iranian users condemned the call as reckless, accusing Israel of openly encouraging espionage and putting citizens at risk. Others expressed skepticism or mocked the message.
Conversely, some user comments reflected anti-regime sentiment, welcoming Israel’s outreach as a sign of the regime’s weakening grip. Some urged caution, advising the use of VPNs or the secure Tor network to any who took up the Israeli offer, to evade Iranian surveillance.
Over recent days, since the start of Israel’s campaign in Iran, the IDF’s Persian-language X account has been active in sharing updates about Israeli military operations and issuing direct warnings to civilians to evacuate targeted areas.
Notably, the IDF issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for a large section of Tehran, ahead of Israeli strikes on Monday.
Now in its sixth day, Israel’s operation in Iran was launched with the objective of removing the “existential threat” of the Iranian nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities.
Israel says its sweeping assault on Iran’s top military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites, and ballistic missile program is necessary to prevent the Islamic Republic, which has vowed to destroy the Jewish state, from getting any closer to building atomic weapons.
Iran has retaliated by launching over 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel and more than 500 wounded.
Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 224 people, according to Iranian officials.