CIA Wants Potential Iranian Informants to Reach Out

Demonstrators rally in solidarity with the Iranian protest movement in Los Angeles on Feb. 14, 2026. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Central Intelligence Agency has offered guidance to potential informants in Iran on secure communication methods, as U.S. President Donald Trump ups the pressure that his administration is placing on Tehran amid widespread unrest in the Middle Eastern country and concerns over its nuclear program.The CIA shared its post directed at informants within Iran across social media websites, including X, Instagram, and YouTube.“Hello,” the post reads in Farsi. “The Central Intelligence Agency hears you and wants to help. Here are some tips on how to make a secure virtual call with us.”In the video, the CIA outlines eight steps for safe communications, such as activating private browsing modes in browsers such as Firefox or Safari, employing VPNs to mask IP addresses, and employing disposable devices not linked to personal information. The agency also pointed users toward its darknet site via Tor for anonymity.The instructions emphasized the importance of using official communication channels to avoid impostors, as well as using encrypted networks over public Wi-Fi. Experts say while these measures enhance safety, the Iranian regime’s sophisticated surveillance poses risks.The video has accrued tens of millions of views across the platforms. It is part of a series of similar videos in the Korean, Russian, and Mandarin languages.The latest unrest in Iran follows the regime’s violent crackdown on earlier protests about soaring inflation and the collapse of the Iranian rial, which Trump said killed 32,000 people.Meanwhile, nationwide protests against government policies have continued in Iran, and the United States has built up its largest Middle East military presence in decades because of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. Iran could have capacity for weapons-grade material in weeks, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said during an appearance on Fox News’s “My View with Lara Trump” on Feb. 21Since January, Trump has ordered two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region, including the USS Abraham Lincoln. Trump called the buildup a “massive armada” on Truth Social.“Now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not,” Trump said during a Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Feb. 19, referring to U.S. and Iranian negotiators reaching a deal regarding security concerns in the Middle East. “Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Feb. 18 U.S. and Iranian negotiators made progress in Geneva but remain “very far apart on some issues.”Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera earlier this month that Iran’s missile programs are not negotiable.The CIA also announced its recruitment of sources in Iran, China, and North Korea last October. The recruitment includes tips for potential informants to contact the agency safely, though details remain classified.