The Wall Street Journal reported that Iranians on the ground have been transmitting information in Persian through Israeli social media accounts.
Israel has been relying in part on target information sent by ordinary Iranians for strikes carried out during the current war with Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The report said this was the case on Wednesday night, when an Israeli Hermes UAV struck Basij checkpoints in Tehran, citing a senior Israeli security official.
The official said Iranians on the ground have been transmitting information in Persian through Israeli social media accounts. According to the report, the information is first verified and vetted by Israeli authorities, and action is taken only after it is found to be accurate.
Iranian state media reported on Wednesday evening that Israeli drones targeted checkpoints in Tehran, killing several members of Iran’s security forces, including some affiliated with the Basij militia. Separate reports said several regime security personnel and Basij members were killed in the strikes.
If confirmed, the reported use of civilian-supplied intelligence would point to an additional layer in Israel’s targeting apparatus inside Iran.
IDF uses ordinary Iranians to target regime
The Wall Street Journal report said the material sent by civilians is not used directly, but instead goes through an Israeli verification process before a strike is approved.
The Basij, which operates under the umbrella of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has long played a central role in internal security and suppression of unrest. Recent reporting has described Israeli strikes on Basij-linked and regime security infrastructure as part of a broader campaign against internal security assets in and around Tehran.
Additional reporting said Israel has also targeted IRGC-linked infrastructure, drone operatives, and other military assets across Iran. Separate coverage suggested that sustained pressure has expanded Israel’s operational freedom over Iranian territory.