The CIA urges Iranians to reach out as informants in rare move

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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has issued a rare call to Iranians to get in contact as potential informants, signaling a potential ramp-up of American efforts to gather military and civilian intelligence at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

The CIA issued a Farsi-language recruitment post on X, Instagram and YouTube on Tuesday, offering potential informants a way to contact the agency to share intelligence securely.

“Hello. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) hears your voice and wants to help you,” the post said, according to an English-language translation, in which people with “sensitive information” or “unique skills” were invited to contact the agency.

The post was accompanied by a video detailing ways to get in touch without being identified, including by using the dark web — a hidden part of the internet accessed by using anonymising browsers — as well as alternative ways to contact it anonymously, securely and safely.