Overview

• Since Israel’s airstrikes on Iran began last week, many Iranian expatriates report that calls to relatives are intercepted by a robotic voice demanding caller identification
• Five telecommunications experts told the Associated Press the recordings likely stem from low-tech artificial intelligence, chatbots or pre-recorded systems diverting international calls
• Four of those experts suspect the Iranian government orchestrated the diversion while one points to possible Israeli psychological tactics
• Iranian authorities are ordering citizens to report neighbors using the illegal Starlink service in a widening espionage crackdown under the blackout
• Iranians abroad describe the eerie messages as psychological warfare that deepens their anxiety and sense of helplessness over their families’ safety