Iran repeats a deadly dangerous mistake - Israel has already used it

A scandal has erupted in Iran over photographs of senior officials, including the head of the National Organization for Passive Defense, wearing smartwatches. Conservative commentator Ali Ghalhaki accused them of violating security protocols. Smartwatches can transmit location data, which Israel has previously used to detect Iranian targets.

A scandal has erupted in Iran following the publication of photographs of senior officials wearing smartwatches. The images, distributed by conservative commentator Ali Ghalhaki, show the head of the National Organization for Passive Defense, Gholam Reza Jalali, Ministry of Defense official Reza Farkhi, and former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani. Ghalhaki questioned their compliance with security rules. Jalali compared the use of the watches to connected televisions, but his argument was criticized given his position. The main danger is the ability to determine location via GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. After the 2025 war, Iran's cyber command banned officials and security personnel from using connected devices. Israel has previously used electronic devices surrounding Iranian officials to detect them. A notable case occurred on June 16, 2025, when the location of an underground facility in Tehran was determined through the devices of security personnel. Ghalhaki called for a review of the rules and an investigation into violations.