According to reports cited by the British Reuters on July 29, Brad Cooper, the senior military commander for U.S. operations in the Middle East and the commander of the U.S. Central Command, warned U.S. soldiers stationed in the Middle East in a previously undisclosed letter that videos captured and uploaded to the internet via mobile phones could help Iran locate U.S. military bases. Some U.S. troops deployed in the region may soon be required to hand over their mobile phones.
According to reports, if the U.S. military restricts soldiers from using mobile phones for communication, it will have new impacts on thousands of soldiers stationed in the Middle East. Currently, many U.S. military personnel still rely on mobile phones to stay in touch with their families and regularly report their safety status.
In a letter sent on July 28, Cooper stated that Iran is using public information to obtain intelligence about American military operations. A copy of the letter obtained by Reuters shows that Cooper pointed out that Iran can obtain information such as reactions, photos, and videos taken by American soldiers through searching news reports or social media posts, thereby almost instantly assessing the effectiveness of Iranian strikes.
"The direct and unavoidable costs brought by open-source intelligence, may manifest in the casualties of American soldiers and civilians in target countries in the Gulf region." Cooper wrote in his letter.
He requested that US military personnel "further strengthen their emphasis on action security," but did not specify any concrete measures in his letter.
Two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that in Jordan, where the country is frequently attacked by Iran, some US military personnel have been informed that their mobile phones will be confiscated in the coming days.
Another source said that due to concerns about operational safety, the U.S. military is considering taking similar measures in the Middle East, but it is not certain that a mobile phone confiscation operation will definitely be carried out.
Regarding relevant reports, US military central command spokesperson Tim Hawkins responded saying: “This information is merely a reminder for soldiers to remain vigilant in their actions and is one of Cooper's repeated ways of conveying key operational priorities.”
