Iran Uses Cell Phone Data to Track US Soldiers Before and During Conflict

According to a Financial Times report, Iranian-linked actors exploited vulnerabilities in cellular networks and commercial location data to track American soldiers and government personnel. This surveillance campaign targeted US military and staff in the Middle East before and during the recent conflict with Iran, including the period around the "Roaring Lion" operation and the initial days of fighting when missiles and drones were launched at US forces and bases.

Experts such as Gary Miller from Citizen Lab confirmed Iran's proven capability to obtain real-time and continuous location information using techniques like SS7 protocol pings. Iranian forces and their allies reportedly leveraged roaming agreements with regional cellular providers to monitor military personnel movements.

In addition to network exploitation, Iranian-linked groups used commercial advertising databases to identify phones, particularly in areas like Iraqi Kurdistan. This method allowed them to pinpoint hotels where US government workers and contractors stayed by tracking advertising identifiers linked to devices, without directly hacking the phones.

US Central Command informed Congress in April about numerous hostile attempts to exploit commercial location data. While protective measures have been implemented to safeguard troops, officials stated there is no evidence that this information was significantly used to carry out attacks.

The revelations have reignited calls among US lawmakers for legislation to restrict the sale of location data related to government employees. Republican Congressman Pat Harrigan emphasized the need for laws preventing tech companies from selling such data, while Democratic Senator Ron Wyden highlighted longstanding national security concerns tied to commercial location data exposure.