US military officials are considering tighter restrictions on cellphone use by deployed personnel in the Middle East after concerns that photos and videos shared online are providing Iran with valuable intelligence, Reuters reported.
According to the report, the proposals could require some troops to surrender their personal phones while deployed.
No region-wide policy has been announced, but the measure is under discussion following recent Iranian missile and drone attacks on US bases.
The debate follows a July 28 letter from Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, warning that publicly available images, videos, and media reports can help Tehran assess the effectiveness of its strikes.
“Iran knows the weapons were fired; however, their forces do not know if they missed by 50 meters, hit an empty tarmac, or successfully struck a crowded facility,” he wrote.
Meta Smart Glasses
The warning was prompted by footage recorded with Meta smart glasses during Iran’s July 17 attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
The video, filmed by a US service member and later shared on social media, showed troops taking shelter inside a bunker, potentially revealing defensive procedures and the impact of the strike.
US officials argued that, without such publicly available footage, Iran would have far less information to conduct battle damage assessments, as US electronic warfare measures often prevent it from independently verifying the results of its attacks.
Restricting cellphone use would mark a significant change for deployed personnel, many of whom rely on their devices to stay in contact with family during overseas deployments.
The discussion also reflects broader Pentagon concerns over the security risks posed by personal electronic devices.
Earlier this month, the Financial Times reported that US military personnel were tracked through their mobile phones during the conflict with Iran.
Citing telecommunications data and sources familiar with the matter, the newspaper said the effort combined telecom infrastructure with commercially available location data to identify the locations of US troops and contractors across the Middle East.
