A Telegram user purporting to be linked to Iran’s Intelligence Ministry attempted to recruit a Leading Britain's Conversation (LBC) journalist to carry out a paid task hours into an investigation on the spate of arson attacks against British Jewish institutions, LBC reported on Friday.
The user instructed the undercover reporter to “print out a photo of Trump and Netanyahu, set it on fire in one of London’s famous streets, and send a video of it” in exchange for $5.
“This is the first step in building trust, and I will pay for it,” the user wrote. “After you send me the video, I will make the payment and title the second job.”
LBC confirmed that they reported the incident to counter-terrorism police and provided the officials with the full exchange.
LBC did not respond to The Jerusalem Post’s request for comment.
Human contact points are the weakest part of Iranian recruitment tactics
A security source told The Jerusalem Post that the case was particularly interesting as the public is rarely able to see investigations like these. While authorities often carry out such operations, their findings are rarely made public.
Human contact points are the weakest part of Iranian recruitment tactics, with human error often leading to interception, which shows Iran’s tactics are evolving, the source added. Bots have allowed Iran to scale their attempts and better avoid detection.
Dr. Lynette Nusbacher, a military historian with a background in intelligence, told The Post it was possible the agent was truly connected to Iran’s intelligence ministry, but added that it was equally possible the agent was only ideologically aligned with Iran.
Roger Macmillan, a former director for the Iranian diaspora site Iran International, which was among the sites targeted this month, mirrored Nusbacher’s theory, telling The Post, “It is highly likely that it would have come from entities with close ideological links and connections with the regime via their proxy network. The use of proxies is a tried and tested pathway for the IRGC to maintain a degree of deniability.”
The Sunday Times reported last month that Iran was using Telegram to collect intelligence information, offering payments starting from £500 to film targets from channels identifying themselves as part of the Iranian intelligence ministry. The messages are in English and Hebrew, aimed at recruiting Jews or Israelis disenchanted with Israel or struggling for cash, according to the experts cited in the report.
Security experts who spoke with the British newspaper confirmed that the accounts appeared to be connected to the ministry, though they cautioned that they couldn’t be completely certain.
Britain has seen a number of arson attacks against Jewish, Israeli, and Iranian-dissident sites in recent weeks, leading to the London Metropolitan Police and Counter Terrorism Police arresting 25 individuals. Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, a suspected Iranian front group, claimed responsibility for most of the incidents.
Michael Starr contributed to this report.