Фалшива Аларма (Falsiva Alarma)

The text message alert sent from the UAE’s Ministry of Interior during the Iran-Israel conflict was a fake, intended to caution residents against acting on it. Prior to the war, the UAE had already experienced a surge in cyberattacks, primarily targeting critical infrastructure, orchestrated by Iranian proxies. These attacks, numbering in the hundreds of thousands daily, aimed to disrupt operations and spread disinformation. Beyond cyberattacks, Iran utilized psychological warfare through threatening text messages and manipulated information to sow fear and uncertainty in the Gulf region. Attacks on web servers caused financial disruptions, and the Revolutionary Guards targeted American companies and universities. Iran’s strategy focused on damaging the region’s carefully cultivated image of stability, while simultaneously engaging in sophisticated cyber operations, including attacks on US infrastructure and the personal devices of key figures.