Foreign accounts drove 60% of anti-war posts on X, the research firm says
The report identified repeated narratives promoted by foreign accounts, including claims that the operation was a “betrayal of MAGA” and “deeply unpopular with the American people” and was carried out.On behalf of Israel“.
Sixty percent of the most popular posts are on X Mentioning “Iran” Within the first week of the operation, they originated from accounts based outside the United States — despite often presenting themselves as American voices, according to research by Argyle Consulting Group, a private intelligence and data analysis firm.
“These are not just random opinions,” Eran Vasker, CEO and co-founder of Argyle Consulting Group, told Fox News Digital.
“What we’re seeing is speech that sounds American — written in English, using American political language — but is actually coming from outside the country… It’s almost impossible for the average user to detect,” Vasker said, explaining that the accounts “sound very American” and reflect local political language and discussions.
A new analysis of social media activity during the early days of Operation Epic Fury suggests that much of the online backlash and anti-Israel content may not have been driven by Americans at all. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)
The analysis examined 100 viral posts — each with more than 10,000 shares — between February 28 and March 7. In total, posts containing the word “Iran” generated 98 million shares, 696.4 million interactions, and an estimated 1.5 trillion potential views, making it one of the largest information events on record online.
Foreign accounts alone achieved 155.6 million views, compared to 93.4 million views from accounts in the United States, exceeding them by more than 60 million views in the sample.
Even more surprising is that every foreign post in the data set was negative about the operation, while the only supportive content came from US-based users, Argyle found.
Among the most influential voices driving engagement, seven of the top 10 accounts were based outside the US, including accounts linked to Russia, the UAE, the UK and South Asia, Argyle found. (Rashid Omar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
Much of the activity is focused on Israel and combines disruption with messaging, said JB Castellanos, director of threat intelligence at Binary Defense and a former member of U.S. Central Command’s active cyber defense team.
“About 42% of the attacks we see or the allegations we see online are directed toward Israel,” Castellanos said.
He also pointed to smear campaigns and Videos generated by artificial intelligence “Trying to fundamentally shape the information space.”
Castellanos said most of the challenge lies in distinguishing between real cyber incidents and inflated claims online by attention-seeking hacking groups.
“A lot of times, these are just allegations they put on the Internet,” he added.
Bloody vigil for Khamenei in New York City exposes anti-US protest network linked to Iran
Cyber threat analysts say the online narrative campaign is unfolding alongside broader activity by pro-Iran and allied groups across the digital space. (Rashid Omar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
The researchers said the volume, consistency and geographic spread of the messages indicated a coordinated effort rather than an organic global debate.
Cyber threat analysts say the online narrative campaign is unfolding alongside broader activity Pro-Iranian and allied groups Through the digital space.
One of the most prominent groups to emerge in the current conflict is Handala, an Iran-linked hacking operation that has claimed responsibility for attacks on American and Israeli targets, Castellanos said.
Among the voices most influential in driving engagement, seven of the top 10 accounts were based outside the US, including accounts linked to Russia, the UAE, the UK and South Asia.
US authorities and cybersecurity companies linked Handala to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, describing it as part of a broader effort that combines cyber attacks with psychological and information operations.
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The report identified repeated narratives promoted by foreign accounts, including claims that the operation was a “betrayal of MAGA,” “deeply unpopular with the American people” and was carried out “on behalf of Israel.” (Isra Nomani/Fox News Digital)
the Researchers in the field of cybersecurity He told Fox News that Handala Digital is part of a broader network of Iranian-aligned and pro-Russian hacktivism groups that have been mobilized since the beginning of the war, mixing subversive cyber activity with online narrative-shaping campaigns.
Fox News Digital has reached out to X several times, providing a list of the accounts involved upon request, but has not yet received a response.
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