Microsoft: Iran Accelerates Its Cyber Influence Operations Worldwide

The logo of American Microsoft on its pavilion at a world tech fair in Barcelona last year. (AFP)
The logo of American Microsoft on its pavilion at a world tech fair in Barcelona last year. (AFP)
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Microsoft: Iran Accelerates Its Cyber Influence Operations Worldwide

The logo of American Microsoft on its pavilion at a world tech fair in Barcelona last year. (AFP)
The logo of American Microsoft on its pavilion at a world tech fair in Barcelona last year. (AFP)

Microsoft warned that Iran is accelerating its cyber-enabled influence operations to go in tandem with its geopolitical goals worldwide.

“Iran continues to be a significant threat actor, and it is now supplementing its traditional cyberattacks with a new playbook, leveraging cyber-enabled influence operations (IO) to achieve its geopolitical aims,” a report published by the company on Tuesday revealed.

Microsoft has detected these efforts rapidly accelerating since June 2022.

Microsoft said it attributed 24 unique cyber-enabled influence operations to the Iranian government last year compared to just seven in 2021.

The report added that most of Iran’s cyber-enabled influence operations are being run by Emennet Pasargad – which is sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for attempts to undermine the integrity of the 2020 US Presidential Elections.

Though Iran’s techniques may have changed, its targets have not. These operations remain focused on Israel, prominent Iranian opposition figures and groups, and the Gulf countries, according to Microsoft.

“Iran directed nearly a quarter (23%) of its cyber operations against Israel between October of 2022 and March of 2023, with the United States, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia also bearing the brunt of these efforts.”

The goals of its cyber-enabled IO have included seeking to bolster Palestinian groups that are allied to Iran, fomenting unrest in Bahrain, and sowing panic and fear among Israeli citizens.

“Iran has also adopted cyber-enabled IO to undercut the momentum of nationwide protests by leaking information that aims to embarrass prominent regime opposition figures.”

Microsoft added that most of these operations have a predictable playbook, in which Iran uses a cyber persona to publicize and exaggerate a low-sophistication cyberattack, using the language of the target audience.

“New Iranian influence techniques include their use of SMS messaging and victim impersonation to enhance the effectiveness of their amplification”, the report added.



US Has ‘No Plans’ to Recognize Palestinian State, Vance Says Before Talks with UK Foreign Secretary

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a meeting with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Kent, England, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (AP)
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a meeting with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Kent, England, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (AP)
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US Has ‘No Plans’ to Recognize Palestinian State, Vance Says Before Talks with UK Foreign Secretary

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a meeting with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Kent, England, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (AP)
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a meeting with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Kent, England, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (AP)

US Vice President JD Vance met with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday at a stately home south of London, with the two leaders saying the agenda includes global economics and the Israel-Hamas war and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Taking questions from reporters before their talks, Vance addressed the UK decision to recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza, saying he wasn’t sure what such recognition would even mean, “given the lack of a functional government there.”

Asked whether Trump had been given a heads up on Israel’s announced intent to occupy Gaza City, Vance said he wouldn't go into such conversations.

“If it was easy to bring peace to that region of the world, it would have been done already,” he said.

The meeting comes amid debates between Washington and London about the best way to end the wars between Russia and Ukraine, as well as Israel and Hamas. It’s also taking place as the United Kingdom tries to come to favorable terms for steel and aluminum exports to the US, and the two sides work out details of a broader trade deal announced at the end of June.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he hoped to meet with US President Donald Trump next week, comments that came a day before Trump’s deadline for Moscow to show progress in ending the nearly 3½-year war in Ukraine.

While Trump has focused on bilateral talks with Putin, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders have stressed that Ukraine must be part of any negotiations on ending the war.

The US and Britain, which have historically close ties known as “the special relationship,” have also disagreed on their approach to ending the war in Gaza.

The meeting took place at Chevening, an almost 400-year-old mansion surrounded by 3,000 acres (about 1,200 hectares) of gardens that serves as the foreign secretary’s official country residence.

About two dozen protesters were spotted on the road before the turnoff to the stately home. A few were wearing keffiyeh scarves and another held up a round sign that had a meme making fun of Vance printed on it.