SAEDNEWS: Former ICT Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi has dismissed claims that Iranian military commanders and scientists used foreign messaging apps like WhatsApp, calling the allegations improbable and urging a review of national security protocols instead.
According to Saed News, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Iran’s former Minister of Communications and Information Technology, has responded pointedly to recent claims implicating WhatsApp in the assassination of senior figures affiliated with Iran and Hamas. In a Telegram post, Jahromi questioned the credibility of allegations made by the head of Iran’s Passive Defense Organization, who suggested foreign messaging platforms had been instrumental in tracking down and eliminating high-profile targets.
"It is unlikely that Iran's martyred commanders and scientists would have used foreign messaging services," Jahromi wrote. "They were most likely compliant with established protective protocols."
Jahromi emphasized that the Iranian armed forces operate under a disciplined, formal structure—not a guerrilla framework—implying that procedures governing information security are standardized and rigorously enforced. He further criticized what he described as deflection tactics, suggesting that officials would be better served by critically reassessing Iran’s information security practices rather than attributing strategic failures to messaging apps.
His remarks come amid growing scrutiny of digital surveillance in the Middle East, especially in light of recent Israeli operations targeting Hamas figures. While officials often point to foreign platforms as weak links in national security, Jahromi’s comments appear to signal internal discontent with the state’s own cybersecurity posture and crisis management narratives.
The exchange highlights a recurring theme in Iranian politics: the tension between technological skepticism and the operational realities of military intelligence in a digitized battlefield.
