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| On the use of Number Stations in the Current Iran War | |
| 2026-04-06 | |
| [GreyDynamics] Old World Spycraft Surfaces in Iran War 1.0 Introduction An anonymous Persian-language shortwave station, dubbed “V32” by the amateur shortwave community, began broadcasting strings of numbers on 28 February 2026, some 12 hours after the first strikes in the Iran war. It is the first new number station* to come online since V30 started broadcasting in Vietnam in 2010. The prevailing theory behind V32 is that it is a CIA or DIA backed operation to activate or provide instructions to recruited sources in Iran. For the intelligence community, it potentially indicates a fallback to proven low-tech solutions for clandestine communications in countries where media is suppressed and ubiquitous technical surveillance complicates the secure use of the internet and cell phones. Relatedly, some observers suggest it could be a psychological warfare tactic designed to instill paranoia in the Iranian regime and divert resources, and it has sparked jamming efforts that are consistent with Tehran’s past practices. This article explores the history of number stations, the prevailing theories behind V32, and potential future trends suggested by this development. * Number stations broadcast sequences of numbers or sounds that are thought to represent coded communications with human sources by intelligence agencies.
News about numbers stations often reports the decommissioning of a broadcast, and rarely does a new one come online. The emergence of V32 indicates that short-wave radio transmissions, despite being ‘low-tech’, are still viable as a means of communication in an age of ubiquitous technical surveillance and state suppressed media. Specifically, the anonymity that is retained by using such a technology is alluring for transmitting messages to individuals who can be trained and equipped with one time pads. The strongest theory is that V32 is a means of communicating with clandestine assets who have been cut-off in Iran as a result of the strikes and the shutdown of the internet. That said, number stations have been used by various agencies as a method of psychological warfare, and it could be a strategic tool to divert resources, such as jammers, to perforate the state’s control over media sources. | |
| Posted by:Clem+Elmish4239 |
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| Posted by: SteveS 2026-04-06 21:48 |
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| Posted by: ed in texas 2026-04-06 17:51 |
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| Posted by: Super Hose 2026-04-06 06:00 |
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| Posted by: Skidmark 2026-04-06 01:26 |