2025 interception of outbound calls to IranBeginning in mid-June 2025 and tapering off in early July 2025, a widespread telecommunications disruption affected international calls directed to Iranian phone numbers. The disruption occurred amid escalating military conflict between Israel and Iran. Callers, primarily from the Iranian diaspora in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, and other Western nations, reported their attempts to reach family and friends in Iran being intercepted by 'automated, robotic voices' delivering 'cryptic, pre-recorded messages' in broken English and Farsi. The interceptions coincided with Iranian government-imposed internet blackouts and communication restrictions following Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Experts speculated that the phenomenon could be the result of a cyber operation, possibly orchestrated by the Iranian regime to control information flow, or by foreign adversaries engaging in psychological warfare.[1][2] BackgroundThe interceptions occurred amidst the 2025 Israel-Iran conflict, which erupted in June 2025 following Israeli airstrikes on Iran's nuclear program, including facilities at Fordo and Natanz. Israel justified the attacks as 'preemptive measures' against Iran's alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons, despite Tehran's claims of a 'peaceful program'.[3] In response, Iran launched ballistic missile barrages at Israeli targets. Iran soon imposed severe communication blackouts (internet shutdowns, mobile network restrictions) to curb the spread of information and potential mobilization against the regime.[4] This was part of a broader pattern of digital repression by the Iranian government, which has historically used surveillance tools to track dissenters.[5][6] Pro-Iranian hackers have targeted Israeli and U.S. infrastructure, and vice versa. Groups like Lemon Sandstorm (affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) conducted prolonged infiltrations of Middle Eastern networks.[7] The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued advisories warning of heightened Iranian cyber threats.[8] DescriptionCallers attempting to dial Iranian landlines and mobile numbers from abroad reported their calls being redirected to automated systems playing robotic voices, including the two following messages:
Other variations featured philosophical musings or attempts to engage the caller in conversation, such as asking "Who are you?" or playing eerie music before the voice activated.[11] The voices were described as synthetic, possibly 'generated by AI',[citation needed] while static and not interactive. Calls were typically diverted without ring time. Some[who?] labeled this as potential interception at the network level.[12] No definitive attribution to the phenomenon has been confirmed as of mid-August 2025. Responses
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