not only did Israel use bots to elevate Pahlavi and smear all voices critical of war and sanctions - Israel also used its bot army (unsuccessfully) during its war of aggression in June to help bring about regime collapse.

 https://x.com/tparsi/status/1974258838045143126

Trita Parsi

@tparsi

We always knew that Israel played a key role in manipulating public opinion in the Iranian Diaspora through social media in favor of Reza Pahlavi during the Mahsa Amini protests.

@citizenlab

and

@Haaretz

can now reveal what amounts to smoking gun evidence. But not only did Israel use bots to elevate Pahlavi and smear all voices critical of war and sanctions - Israel also used its bot army (unsuccessfully) during its war of aggression in June to help bring about regime collapse. Evidence exists that its bot army was informed of pending Israeli attacks and had prepared tweets in advance. The picture that emerges is not only that Pahlavi's perceived support among Iranians was manufactured and razor-thin, but also that he is a hapless stooge in Israel's machinations rather than a legitimate opposition leader with independent agency. See links in subtweet >>

9:42 AM · Oct 4, 2025

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https://x.com/tparsi/status/1974258838045143126