Instagram Posts May Help Iran, Warns US, Considers Seizing Troops' Phones

The US military is tightening its grip on troops' mobile phone use in the Middle East after concluding that videos and photos posted online could be helping Iran improve its attacks on American bases, according to a report by Reuters.

In a warning to service members, the head of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, said seemingly harmless social media posts were allowing Iran to assess the impact of its missile and drone strikes almost instantly, information that would otherwise be difficult to obtain during the conflict.

The concern is now so serious that some American troops deployed in the region could soon be ordered to surrender their phones, Reuters reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

Phone Ban Under Consideration

According to Reuters, soldiers stationed in Jordan, one of the countries repeatedly targeted by Iranian attacks, have already been informed that their phones may be confiscated in the coming days.

Another source said the move is being discussed more broadly across the region, although no final decision has been taken.

Any restrictions would significantly affect thousands of US personnel who rely on their phones to stay in touch with family members back home and reassure loved ones during the conflict.

Responding to Reuters, US Central Command spokesperson Captain Timothy Hawkins downplayed the development, saying, "The message is a general reminder to our service members on the importance of maintaining operational security. This is one of many opportunities Admiral Cooper has used to convey operational priorities."

How A Soldier's Instagram Post Raised Alarm

The warning follows an incident earlier this month when a US service member recorded fellow soldiers rushing into bunkers during an Iranian missile and drone attack on Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on July 17.

According to Admiral Cooper, the footage was captured using Meta smart glasses equipped with a built-in camera before being uploaded to Instagram.

"Video captured from a service member's Meta glasses was posted on Instagram showing where and how the individual had evacuated to a bunker during an Iranian missile and drone attack," Cooper wrote in a July 28 letter obtained by Reuters.

The admiral warned that such posts reveal far more than soldiers realise.

'Free Intelligence' For Iran

Cooper said Iran often has no immediate way of knowing whether its missiles struck a key target or landed harmlessly because US forces use electronic jamming and other battlefield tactics.

But social media posts, eyewitness accounts and even detailed news reports can hand Tehran that information.

"Iran knows the weapons were fired; however, their forces do not know if they missed by 50 metres, hit an empty tarmac, or successfully struck a crowded facility," he wrote.

He added, "Detailed lists, descriptions, and analyses of what was hit, openly published by news outlets are essentially performing Iran's Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) for them, free of charge."

In his letter, Cooper warned that the consequences could be deadly.

"The direct, unavoidable cost of this open-source intelligence could be measured in the lives of American service members and civilian residents in targeted Gulf countries," he wrote.

Calling for stricter discipline, he urged troops to "redouble our focus on operational security".

Fears Of More Devastating Follow-Up Attacks

The commander also cautioned that publicly revealing the extent of damage from Iranian strikes could encourage Tehran to launch another wave of attacks while knowing exactly where to aim.

"Detailed public disclosures can become an immediate green light for Iranian forces to launch a secondary, much more devastating wave of attacks," he warned.

The conflict between the US and Iran, which began on February 28, has already claimed the lives of 18 American troops, while more than 600 have been wounded.

The casualties have fuelled growing unease in the United States, where polls suggest only about one in three Americans support the war.

Democratic lawmakers have pressed the Pentagon to release more information about the damage suffered at US bases, including radar installations, aircraft hangars and barracks. They have also demanded publication of a military investigation into a suspected US strike on a girls' school in Iran on the opening day of the conflict.

The Pentagon has repeatedly warned troops that smartphones can expose sensitive information through location-tracking apps and commercially available data.

Reuters reported in May that location information collected from mobile devices has already been exploited to monitor or target US forces.