A network linked to Israel has been instrumental in shaping the external narrative surrounding recent protests in Iran. This digital campaign, which relied heavily on social media platforms, was characterized by artificial amplification and a coordinated influence operation.
The hashtag #FreeThePersianPeople trended on X during the protests, with over 18 million users being reached. However, an extensive data analysis by Al Jazeera reveals that most of the posts were retweets, with only a negligible percentage of original content coming from Iranian accounts. In fact, the number of original content producers did not exceed 170 users.
The campaign's narrative was heavily influenced by Israeli officials and pro-Israel circles. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's tweets were widely circulated within the hashtag's network, repurposed to fit the "liberation" narrative. The campaign also promoted Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, as a key alternative.
The discourse portrayed developments inside Iran as a "moment of collapse," relying on sharp binaries such as "The People vs. The Regime" and "Freedom vs. Political Islam." The network amplified statements attributed to US President Donald Trump regarding Washington's readiness to intervene in the conflict, with Pahlavi publicly welcoming these statements.
Al Jazeera's analysis identified specific "central nodes" or accounts that played a pivotal role in amplifying the hashtag. These included "Rhythm of X," "Nioh Berg," and "Israel War Room," which regularly disseminated security and political content aligned with Israeli state narratives.
The investigation concludes that the #FreeThePersianPeople campaign was not a spontaneous digital expression of internal Iranian anger, but rather a politicized information operation constructed outside Iran. The campaign successfully hijacked legitimate economic grievances, reframing them within a broader political project that links the "liberation of Iran" to the return of the monarchy and foreign military intervention.
This raises concerns about the influence of external actors in shaping public discourse, particularly when it comes to sensitive regional issues. It also highlights the need for greater scrutiny of online activity during times of social unrest, as well as the importance of fact-checking information sources to prevent the spread of misinformation.
The hashtag #FreeThePersianPeople trended on X during the protests, with over 18 million users being reached. However, an extensive data analysis by Al Jazeera reveals that most of the posts were retweets, with only a negligible percentage of original content coming from Iranian accounts. In fact, the number of original content producers did not exceed 170 users.
The campaign's narrative was heavily influenced by Israeli officials and pro-Israel circles. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's tweets were widely circulated within the hashtag's network, repurposed to fit the "liberation" narrative. The campaign also promoted Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, as a key alternative.
The discourse portrayed developments inside Iran as a "moment of collapse," relying on sharp binaries such as "The People vs. The Regime" and "Freedom vs. Political Islam." The network amplified statements attributed to US President Donald Trump regarding Washington's readiness to intervene in the conflict, with Pahlavi publicly welcoming these statements.
Al Jazeera's analysis identified specific "central nodes" or accounts that played a pivotal role in amplifying the hashtag. These included "Rhythm of X," "Nioh Berg," and "Israel War Room," which regularly disseminated security and political content aligned with Israeli state narratives.
The investigation concludes that the #FreeThePersianPeople campaign was not a spontaneous digital expression of internal Iranian anger, but rather a politicized information operation constructed outside Iran. The campaign successfully hijacked legitimate economic grievances, reframing them within a broader political project that links the "liberation of Iran" to the return of the monarchy and foreign military intervention.
This raises concerns about the influence of external actors in shaping public discourse, particularly when it comes to sensitive regional issues. It also highlights the need for greater scrutiny of online activity during times of social unrest, as well as the importance of fact-checking information sources to prevent the spread of misinformation.
. The narrative they created around #FreeThePersianPeople just doesn't add up. I mean, 170 original content producers? That's pretty thin considering how much traction it gained on X 
. And promoting Reza Pahlavi as an alternative is a clear power play. It's like they're trying to justify a return of the monarchy and foreign intervention 
. The fact that they amplified Trump's statements about intervening in the conflict just shows how far they'll go to shape public opinion 
. We need to be more critical of what we see online, especially during times of social unrest 
. Can't trust everything you read on X 
.
So like i was scrollin thru X and all these ppl were talkin about #FreeThePersianPeople and idk if its real or not lol but seems like its been orchestrated by Israel lol wut r they tryna do? Amplify the narrative that Iran is collaspin and needs a monarchy comeback? 
And btw why are there only 170 original accounts? That's sus 
Like Al Jazeera did a sick investigation and exposed all the "central nodes" who were spreading this propaganda 
It's wild how quickly they were able to spin this narrative and turn it into "Freedom vs. The Regime" - sounds like a classic psyop to me 
. And what's up with promoting Reza Pahlavi as some kind of alternative leader? Does anyone even know who that guy is? 
Anyway, it's clear that this campaign was all about shaping public discourse and advancing a specific agenda - we need to be way more careful about what we're consuming online, especially during times of social unrest. 
just found out that this #FreeThePersianPeople campaign was actually a coordinated info op by Israel 
. Like someone's trying to manipulate public opinion and create a narrative that doesn't reflect what's really going on in Iran 
. We need to be way more careful about what we consume online and make sure we're not getting fed propaganda 
this is wild, like how did they get so many retweets without any actual Iranians contributing? it's not exactly surprising that israel was involved but still 
. And it's all about amplifying Israeli narratives and promoting the return of the monarchy? Like, what's next? 
.
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it's wild. and what's up with promoting Reza Pahlavi as a solution? like isn't he just the son of the old king or something? 
anyway, I'm glad Al Jazeera did this investigation, it's so important that we fact-check our info and not spread misinformation.
. and let's be real, US Pres Trump ain't exactly known for his nuance when he speaks 
. Social media can be a powerful tool for shaping public discourse, but it's also vulnerable to manipulation by external actors with an agenda. The #FreeThePersianPeople campaign highlights the dangers of being "influenced" rather than informed 
.
how could they get away with manipulating an entire hashtag like that? 18 million users and only like 170 original posts from Iranians? what's up with that?! 
. Whoever was behind this operation thought they could just swoop in, amplify some tweets, and suddenly the whole narrative shifts. But what they really did was create a snowball effect that ended up being way more complex than they anticipated 
Anyway, it's super important to fact-check everything we see online, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like politics and social unrest. Can't have misinformation spreading like wildfire 
.
. And who gets hurt in all this? The actual people protesting on the ground in Iran 
. We need to be way more careful about where we get our info from and not let special interests hijack our online discourse 
. We can't just blindly trust what we see on our feeds; it's up to us to do some digging & think critically about the information we consume 
. The future of online discourse depends on it 
.
& these "protesters" r mostly retweeting what Israelis & US ppl say 
meanwhile theres only 170 original content creators from Iran? 
& its all about frammin the narrative like "freedom vs. regime" 
sounds like some made for TV drama to me 