Uncovering the sleazy honeypots of online espionage and scandalous tactics of the Ayatollah’s seductive spies

In a plot seemingly ripped from the pages of a Cold War thriller, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have reportedly taken a page out of the oldest playbook in espionage – the art of seduction. Iran International has exposed a scheme where attractive Iranian girls, apparently contracted and trained by Tehran, attempt to lure Israeli soldiers into revealing military secrets, with their sights set particularly on assisting Hamas.

The operation, as disclosed by the London-based opposition outlet, indicates these women, fluent in Hebrew, were recruited by the Revolutionary Guards to seduce those they consider enemies of the revolution, including IDF soldiers. The women reportedly created at least 22 fake online personas, though they used real photographs of themselves – wigs, sensual makeup, revealing attire, and all – to act as digital seductresses​​.

The “honeypots” are said to be based in the religious city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran. Their approach involved using social media platforms to send nude images or provocative footage to Israeli soldiers, aiming to gather military intelligence​​. The Jerusalem Post added another layer to the story, revealing that these profiles approached Israelis on various social networks, including those that dealt with soccer and dating, and even tried to implant spyware under the guise of a puzzle app​​.

The opposition website which has previously disclosed activities of the Mossad referred to this as the “Hoof” project. The relationship between these “Hoofers” and the soldiers included conversations, correspondence, and voice recordings, with a source from the Revolutionary Guards condemning the operation and accusing the leadership of turning Iranian women into “prostitutes for Hamas”​​. Furthermore, a report mentioned that these seductive accounts are linked to Iranian companies working for the Revolutionary Guards, revealing a deeper network and systematic approach to this cyber espionage​​.

This operation has sparked outrage due to the glaring hypocrisy of the Revolutionary Guards. While they’ve been known to execute young women for perceived immodesty, they are simultaneously exploiting Iranian women to entice men on social networks. This contradictory stance highlights a regime violently suppressing hijab protests and killing innocent girls for immodesty on one hand, and on the other, coercing women into espionage to further their agenda, a war deemed not to serve the interests of the Iranian people​​.

This narrative, rich with anecdotes and direct quotes, paints a vivid picture of the lengths to which some regimes will go to gain an edge, even if it means contradicting their own purported values and exploiting their citizens in the most personal of ways. The full scope and effectiveness of this operation remain to be seen, but its exposure has undoubtedly cast a new light on the shadowy world of international espionage and cyber warfare.