Iranian Influence Network Exposed on X Ahead of Israeli Elections
Spanish cyber firm Golden Owl exposed an Iranian influence network on X deploying hundreds of fake accounts to deepen societal divisions ahead of Israel's upcoming elections.
A massive Iranian influence network comprising hundreds of fake accounts on X (formerly Twitter) has been exposed by Spanish cyber intelligence firm Golden Owl, just weeks before the upcoming elections in Israel.
The Anatomy of the Iranian Operation
The report reveals that the network deployed at least 649 fictitious accounts, with 445 confirmed with high or medium-high certainty as Iranian assets. Between August 11 and October 11, these accounts published 13.4 thousand posts and comments, generating 4.73 million views and 160.66 thousand interactions, including 124.49 thousand likes and 20.66 thousand reposts. Operating via VPN infrastructure routed through Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, and Finland, the accounts masqueraded as Israeli citizens by using Hebrew names, localized locations, and fluent Hebrew phrasing to obscure their true origin.
"The network is ready for the final stretch before the elections," the Golden Owl report stated. "Its assets are old enough to look normal, numerous enough to absorb suspensions, and connected enough to reach a real audience. The accounts do not need to convince anyone to vote for a specific party. They need to deepen distrust in the process itself."
Core Narratives and Algorithm Manipulation
Ahead of the elections, Golden Owl identified six primary narratives pushed by the network, including framing October 7 as the "Netanyahu massacre," promoting political survival themes, and seeding a countdown to election day. The network successfully hijacked X's recommendation algorithm through coordinated replies and retweets, exploiting authentic Israeli users who unknowingly amplified the foreign-backed content.
Security experts note that the primary objective of this operation is not partisan persuasion, but rather the systematic erosion of public trust in democratic institutions, the military, and the stability of the state during wartime.
