Multiple reports indicate that a mysterious shortwave radio station began broadcasting on the same day the US-Israeli war on Iran started. The broadcasts commenced around 12 hours after the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran began on February 28, according to major media sources. Shortwave signals can travel tens of thousands of miles by bouncing off the Earth's atmosphere, making them suitable for long-distance spy communication, as noted by major media reports.
The signal broadcasts on shortwave radio, with a man's voice reading numbers in Persian, according to multiple reports. The voice repeats the word 'tavajjoh' (meaning 'attention') three times between numbers. The station broadcasts twice per day, with the signal appearing at 05:30 and 21:30 Iranian time, each broadcast lasting about 90 minutes, the Financial Times reports. The broadcasts are likely a 'numbers station' used to send coded messages to spies, a technique from the Cold War.
The messages are decoded using a one-time pad that is destroyed after use, according to major media sources. An expert states the station broadcasts at 0200 and 1800 GMT, though this schedule appears contradictory to the reported Iranian times, adding to the mystery. The amateur radio group Priyom has named the station V32 and roughly located it in northern Italy, Switzerland, western Germany, eastern France, Belgium, or the Netherlands.
Some triangulation data places the signal near the Red Sea, suggesting it may be from a foreign intelligence agency like Mossad or the CIA, as reported by major media. This conflicting location data complicates efforts to identify the station's origin. The signal was jammed after a few days by someone broadcasting electronic noise on the same wavelength, according to multiple reports. The station switched frequencies after being jammed and continued broadcasting, indicating resilience and possible countermeasures.
Former U.S. intelligence officers suggest the signal is likely intended for American spies in Iran as backup communication. An expert speculates the station might be from Iran's opposition because the Iranian government started jamming it after a few days. The transmissions originate from Europe, according to an expert, though the Red Sea triangulation raises questions about this assessment.
The numbers could contain orders such as activating a pre-determined plan, leaving the country, or going to a safe location, the Financial Times reports. This aligns with typical numbers station functions, where coded messages direct covert operatives without revealing specific details.
Separately, the United States intercepted encrypted communications estimated to originate from Iran, according to a U.S. government warning cited by ABC News. The warning is based on preliminary signal analysis of a transmission likely of Iranian origin. The transmission was broadcast via multiple countries shortly after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The intercepted transmission was encoded and appeared intended for covert recipients with encryption keys.
The intercepted communications may function as an 'operational green light' for dormant terrorist cells outside Iran, according to the U.S. government warning. The transmission is a type of message aimed at conveying instructions to secret operational or covert elements without using the internet or mobile networks. The transmissions may be intended to activate or provide instructions to already placed 'sleeper' secret agents operating outside the country of origin. The exact content of these transmissions cannot currently be determined, leaving their purpose speculative.
The sudden appearance of a new radio center with international relay characteristics justifies increased situational awareness, according to the U.S. government warning. Security authorities are instructed to intensify monitoring of suspicious radio frequencies. There is no operational threat associated with a specific location, but the broad nature of the warning suggests widespread concern.
If the warning's content proves true, it would confirm fears expressed by security officials after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that dormant cells developed throughout the West could be used for retaliation. This potential link between the mysterious radio station and intercepted communications underscores the heightened tensions and covert activities in the region.