US Central Command Warns Social Media Posts Risk American Lives in Middle East

The commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, has issued a rare warning about American soldiers posting videos and photos on social media from bases in the Middle East. He cautioned that such open-source intelligence is being exploited by Iran to analyze the effectiveness of its attacks on US targets almost in real time. Cooper highlighted that Iran uses these publicly shared materials to determine whether missile strikes hit their targets, where missiles landed, and the extent of damage, information that Tehran otherwise struggles to obtain.

According to a Reuters report, the US military is considering confiscating cell phones from some troops deployed in the region as part of tightening operational security measures. Some soldiers in Jordan have already been informed that their phones may be seized soon, and similar steps are being evaluated at other bases. The warning follows an incident where a video recorded with Meta smart glasses showed US soldiers running to a shelter during an Iranian missile and drone attack on the Al-Wafaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. This footage revealed troop movements and shelter locations in real time.

Admiral Cooper stressed that the direct cost of such intelligence leaks could be measured in American and civilian lives in Gulf countries. He urged all forces to double their focus on operational security. The Pentagon has not denied the possibility of further measures but described the current steps as a general reminder of the importance of safeguarding sensitive information. The move reflects growing concerns about Iran’s ability to leverage social media content to conduct battle damage assessments without relying solely on its own intelligence capabilities.