Iran has redirected its network of social media accounts from exploiting discord in the UK and US to advancing regime messaging around the US-Israeli strikes, a Clemson University study has revealed.
Together, the Islamic Republic’s X/Twitter accounts produced 59,403 original posts and accrued thousands of reposts and potentially reached millions of users.
The study, named “From Texas to Tehran: A Multilingual, IRGC-affiliated Influence Operation on X, Instagram, and Bluesky,” explores a new network of at least 61 accounts affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The study found that these accounts were previously linked to campaigns that targeted the United Kingdom and promoted narratives around Scottish independence. However, following the outbreak of war, Iran’s regime straight away shifted these accounts to posting pro-Islamic Republic propaganda surrounding the war with Israel and the United States.
According to the study, these accounts can be broadly categorized into two groups: one set operating in Spanish, pretending to be located in the Americas and one set in English, pretending to be in the British Isles. Among the first set are accounts claiming to be in Texas, California, Venezuela, and Chile, while the second set of accounts claim to be from Scotland, England, and Ireland.
The network includes 61 accounts identified to date, including accounts on X (47), Instagram (9), and BlueSky (5). Five of the accounts reveal that they are connected to X via the “Iran Android App” and 10 connect via the “West Asia Android App.” Instagram data also indicate that eight accounts are “based in Iran.
Latina accounts
The 13 Latina accounts are all on X and use profile images that are either stolen or AI-generated.
The accounts’ bio information claims they are from Texas, California, Venezuela, and Chile. However, technical location data supplied by X indicates that they are based in Europe, France, or the UK, and connected via “Iran Android App” or the “West Asia Android App.”
Each account positions itself as a progressive social justice advocate. The “Venezuelan” and “Chilean” accounts also describe themselves as supporters of Maduro and “Chavistas.”
Prior to February 2026, the Latina accounts shared content that included anti-interventionalist graphics protesting the US’s extraction of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro on January 3. They also typically posted anti-Trump, anti-ICE, anti-imperialist, and pro-Palestine content.
British Isles Accounts
The British Isles accounts are split across X (34), Instagram (9), and Bluesky (5).
Some claim to be in Scotland or England, and the others claim to be from Ireland or Northern Ireland.
Many use traditional Scottish or English names, such as Lucy or Fiona, while presenting as white in their profile pictures. The technical location data provided by X suggest that the accounts use VPNs to appear to be located in the UK or the US. However, the technical connection data provided by X indicate that many of these accounts are connected via “Iran Android App” or “West Asia Android App.”
Most of their profile pictures are stolen or AI-generated. They are mainly purporting to be women. With the Irish accounts, some claim to be new converts to Islam.
Before February 2026, the British Isles accounts posted anti-Labour, anti-Union, anti-Starmer, and anti-Royal Family content. The Scottish and English accounts posted pro-Scottish independence content, and the Irish accounts posted pro-Irish reunification content.
Defense propaganda
According to the study, 24 hours after the start of hostilities between Iran, Israel, and the US, accounts in this campaign began posting Iranian propaganda about the war. The tone also shifted to an overtly pro-Iranian stance.
Following the death of Ali Khamenei, some posts praised him as a martyr who “sacrificed himself.” Some accounts began posting fake news, such as an AI-generated image claiming to show destruction to an American military base in the Middle East.
The Clemson study noted that the coordinated content shift was noticeable on Instagram and Bluesky, and not only on X.
The Bluesky and Instagram accounts, which lhad ong posted about domestic Scottish issues, such as the pro-Scottish independence, shifted in early March to posting pro-Iran war content and graphics. Metadata geographically connects eight out of nine Instagram accounts to Iran.
The study’s technical analysis also showed signs of coordination, such as with post time and client usage. The Latina accounts, for instance, display near identical post timing and volume, and all use the Web App client to post.
Within the British and Irish accounts, we see clusters of coordinated activity, suggesting multiple operators, each with somewhat similar posting behavior.
Despite the coordination, Clemson did not ascertain the accounts to be AI, writing that “content shows no sign of being written by a large language model” and that “some posts display occasional errors indicative of human action.”
As noted, the X accounts produced 59,403 original posts. While the study said their reach was relatively limited, they did accrue thousands of reposts and potentially reached millions of users.
“If left unchecked, these accounts could gain meaningful influence, as we saw in Iran’s earlier campaigns targeting Scottish independence,” the study said.
“With the outbreak of war with Israel and the US, however, these three separate campaigns moved together to engage in defensive propaganda. Facing an existential threat, Iran clearly prioritized content that might best shorten the conflict, and they employed all available resources to do so, even those that might not best reach the US or Israeli homefront.”
The Clemson University report advised the importance of monitoring communities found to be at particular risk of foreign influence to mitigate potential harms to authentic discourse.
The majority of the Iranian accounts on X have been suspended since the study was published.