The United States military warned Iran and its proxy terror groups not to take up arms against the US and its allies, using the Tinder dating app as a platform to broadcast the message across Lebanon, the Washington Post reported last week.
“Do not take up arms against the United States or its partners,” the profiles read, in Arabic, noting that the US “will protect its partners in the face of threats from the Iranian regime and its proxies.”
The message also featured images of US warplanes.
The ad reportedly belonged to CENTCOM, a US official familiar with the ad told the Post. However, CENTCOM refused a request for comment.
Opened Tinder in Lebanon. Was greeted by an ad from CENTCOM saying in Arabic, “Do not take arms against the US and its partners”, that F-16s and A-10s are already prepared, and that the US will “protect its partners in the face of threats from the Iranian regime and its agents.” pic.twitter.com/Z6xIsQY5Gr
— Séamus Malekafzali (@Seamus_Malek) August 22, 2024
Matching with the Tinder profile reportedly led freelance Lebanon-based journalist Séamus Malekafzali to a Central Command post on X, he told The Post.
“Broadly speaking and as a matter of policy, the Department of Defense does conduct military information operations in support of our national security priorities. These activities must be undertaken in compliance with US law and DOD policy, and we are committed to enforcing those safeguards,” a defense official told the source.
Swipe left on the ad
The Post reported that the platform used by the military to spread its message, the most popular dating app in the US, stirred questions about the US military’s online information operations.
Various officials and experts criticized the move by the Post, claiming that it was unlikely to reach a large number of its target audience and labelling the effort as “an unforced error or laziness.”
The message was an explicit threat to Iran, according to the Post, warning against taking up its threats of attacking Israel.
Tehran insisted on multiple occasions that it would respond to the assassination of the Hamas terror group leader Ismail Haniyeh – although Israel has neither denied nor accepted responsibility for the death.
Tinder removed the ad, after being made aware of it by a Post request for comment, insisting that it had violated the company’s policies on violent and political messaging.
