The US Central Intelligence Agency has issued new Farsi-language instructions on social media for Iranians seeking to establish secure contact with the agency.
The message was published on Tuesday across the CIA’s official accounts on X, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram and YouTube.
The outreach is part of a broader effort by the agency to recruit sources in countries including Iran, China, North Korea and Russia.
In its post, the CIA advised prospective contacts to take appropriate precautions to protect their safety, including avoiding the use of work computers or personal mobile phones when attempting to communicate.
"Use a new, disposable device, if possible" and "be aware of your surroundings and who may be able to see your screen or activity."
It added that individuals making contact should provide details such as their location, name, job title and “access to information or skills of interest to our agency," as cited by Reuters.
The message advised that such individuals use a trusted Virtual Private Network “not headquartered in Russia, Iran or China,” or the Tor Network, which encrypts data and conceals a user’s IP address to enhance security.
The United States and Iran are set to hold indirect talks in Switzerland on Thursday in an effort to ease escalating tensions and prevent further conflict.
The negotiations in Geneva follow a significant US military buildup in the region and repeated warnings from President Donald Trump that Washington could take military action if an agreement is not reached.
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump signalled a hardening stance, saying he would not allow the Islamic Republic, which he described as the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism, to obtain a nuclear weapon.
"The (Iranian) regime and its murderous proxies have spread nothing but terrorism and death and hate," Trump said.
Iran has repeatedly denied that it is seeking to develop a nuclear arsenal.
Iran has publicly stated that the maximum range of its missiles is 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles). However, the US Congressional Research Service estimates their range could extend to about 3,000 kilometres, still less than one-third of the distance to the continental United States.
On the eve of the talks, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Iran must also engage in negotiations over its missile programme, describing Tehran’s refusal to discuss its ballistic weapons as “a big, big problem," as cited by AP.
