Iran-linked influence campaign pushes anti-Israel messaging disguised as US voices: report

A caller investigation of societal media enactment during the opening days of Operation Epic Fury suggests that overmuch of the online backlash and anti-Israel contented whitethorn not person been driven by Americans astatine all.

The study identified recurring narratives pushed by foreign-based accounts, including claims that the cognition was a "betrayal of MAGA," "highly unpopular with the American people," and carried retired "on behalf of Israel."

Sixty percent of the astir viral posts connected X mentioning "Iran" during the archetypal week of the cognition originated from accounts based extracurricular the United States — contempt often presenting themselves arsenic American voices, according to probe conducted by Argyle Consulting Group, a backstage quality and information investigation firm.

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"These aren’t conscionable random opinions," Eran Vasker, CEO and co-founder of Argyle Consulting Group, told Fox News Digital. "What we’re seeing is sermon that looks American — written successful English, utilizing U.S. governmental connection — but is really coming from extracurricular the country… Almost intolerable for a regular idiosyncratic to detect," Vasker said, explaining that the accounts "look precise American" and reflector home governmental connection and debates.

Local groups and residents talk retired against the U.S./Israeli warfare against Iran during a section protestation successful Townsend Park connected Sunday, March 1, 2026 successful Albany, N.Y.  (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)

The investigation examined 100 highly X viral posts — each with much than 10,000 shares — betwixt Feb. 28 and March 7. In total, posts containing the connection "Iran" generated 98 cardinal posts, 696.4 cardinal interactions, and an estimated 1.5 trillion imaginable views, making it 1 of the largest online accusation events connected record. 

Foreign accounts unsocial generated 155.6 cardinal views, compared to 93.4 cardinal from U.S.-based accounts, outpacing them by much than 60 cardinal views successful the sample.

Even much striking, each azygous foreign-based station successful the dataset was antagonistic toward the operation, portion the lone supportive contented came from U.S.-based users, Argyle found. 

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David Chung, organizing manager astatine the People's Forum Inc., sets up successful Union Square to protestation the warfare with Iran successful New York, N.Y., connected Saturday, March 7, 2026. He carries signs with the website domain for the Party for Socialism and Liberation. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

JP Castellanos, Binary Defense manager of menace quality and a erstwhile subordinate of U.S. Central Command’s Active Cyber Defense Team, said overmuch of the enactment is focused connected Israel and combines disruption with messaging. "About 42% of the attacks that we’re seeing oregon the claims that we’re seeing online are directed toward Israel," Castellanos said.

He besides pointed to doxxing campaigns and AI-generated videos "trying to fundamentally signifier the accusation space."

Much of the challenge, Castellanos said, is distinguishing existent cyber incidents from inflated online claims by hacktivist groups seeking attention.

"A batch of times, these are conscionable claims that they enactment online," helium said. 

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The People's Forum Inc. acceptable up signs successful Union Square to protestation the warfare with Iran successful New York, N.Y., connected Saturday, March 7, 2026. The signs are marked with the website for the Party for Socialism and Liberation. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

Researchers said the scale, consistency and geographic dispersed of the messaging constituent to a coordinated effort alternatively than integrated planetary debate.

Cyber menace analysts accidental that online communicative run is unfolding alongside broader enactment by pro-Iranian and aligned groups crossed the integer space.

One of the astir salient groups to look successful the existent conflict, Castellanos said, is Handala, an Iran-linked hacking cognition that has claimed work for attacks connected some U.S. and Israeli targets.Among the astir influential voices driving engagement, 7 of the apical 10 accounts were based extracurricular the United States, including accounts linked to Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and South Asia.

U.S. authorities and cybersecurity firms person linked Handala to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, describing it arsenic portion of a broader effort combining cyberattacks with intelligence and accusation operations.

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Members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation filmed children supporting the authorities successful Iran, during a protestation connected Saturday, March 7, 2026, successful Washington, D.C. (Asra Q. Nomani/Fox News Digital)

The cybersecurity researchers told Fox News Digital Handala is portion of a wider web of Iran-aligned and pro-Russian hacktivist groups that person mobilized since the commencement of the war, blending disruptive cyber enactment with narrative-shaping campaigns online.

Fox News Digital reached retired to X aggregate times, providing a database of the accounts successful question per their request, but has not yet received a response.