The US Central Intelligence Agency has posted on social media new Farsi-language instructions for Iranians wishing to securely contact the spy service.
The CIA recruitment effort comes amid a massive buildup of US military forces in the Middle East that President Donald Trump could order to attack Iran if talks with the US set for Thursday fail to reach a deal on Tehran's nuclear program.
Trump began laying out the case for a possible US operation in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, saying he would not allow Iran, which he called the world's biggest sponsor of terrorism, to have a nuclear weapon.
The CIA posted its Farsi-language message on Tuesday on its X, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram and YouTube accounts.
The message is the latest in a series by the CIA aimed at enlisting sources in Iran, China, North Korea and Russia, Reuters reported.
The agency urged Iranians wishing to make contact to "take appropriate action" to protect themselves before doing so and avoid using work computers or their phones.
"Use a new, disposable device, if possible" and "be aware of your surroundings and who may be able to see your screen or activity," continued the message, adding that those who make contact, provide their locations, names, job titles and "access to information or skills of interest to our agency."
Those individuals, said the message, should use a trusted Virtual Private Network "not headquartered in Russia, Iran or China," or the Tor Network, which encrypts data and hides the user's IP address.
