Mysterious radio signals have been broadcast in Persian since the start of the Iran war, with listeners reporting coded messages that may be intended for Tehran's spies around the world. Broadcasts began on the 7910 kHz shortwave frequency around 12 hours after the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran started on February 28. A man's voice is heard reading numbers in Persian followed by the word 'tavajjoh', meaning 'attention'.
Radio enthusiasts, including listeners in Britain, have speculated about the origin and purpose of the broadcasts. One theory suggests it is a 'numbers station' used to communicate secret messages to Iran's overseas sleeper cells, a technique common during the Cold War. Spies would use a one-time pad to decode the messages, then destroy the paper after reading.
Shortwave radio is ideal for such broadcasts as signals can travel tens of thousands of miles by bouncing off the Earth's atmosphere. It is also less traceable and more fail-proof than digital communication, as encrypted messages can be cracked by rival agencies. However, some claim the signals may be the work of the CIA or Mossad, targeting the Iranian opposition.
Triangulation data places the signal near the Red Sea, suggesting a foreign intelligence agency may be broadcasting into Iran. One expert on numbers stations, who spoke anonymously, said the station broadcasts encrypted messages in Farsi twice daily at 0200 and 1800 GMT, originating from Europe. The expert noted that the Iranian government began jamming the signal after a few days, which could indicate the broadcasts are aimed at opposition groups rather than Iranian sleeper cells.
A third theory suggests Russia may be behind the broadcasts, as the signal details bear similarities to known Russian stations like 'the Buzzer' on 4625 kHz. One listener identified 'little beep sounds' that match Russian military shortwave patterns, leading to speculation that Moscow is messaging its assets in Iran.
