Less than a year ago, during a period of relative calm between Israel and Iran, two Israeli citizens decided to relay the information they couldn’t find anywhere else. With expertise in geopolitics, technology, and a deep understanding of the situation, they established "Iran News" – an X/Twitter account that operates almost around the clock.
Today, it has become the primary source for citizens, journalists, military personnel, and government officials in Israel to stay informed about the real-time developments in Iran.
“It started eight months ago,” the two explain in an exclusive interview with Maariv. “We realized that there was a huge gap in the Israeli public’s understanding of what’s really happening in Iran."
"Not just about the nuclear issue or missiles, but about society, the economy, the streets, and religion. We understood that Iran posed a central threat to Israel, but there was no reliable source bringing us the reality from inside the country. So, we decided to start. Alone, with no support or organization behind us. Just driven by a sense of mission.”
They entered internal Telegram channels from Iran, began translating Persian messages with the help of artificial intelligence, and started posting tweet after tweet in Hebrew.
“Within a few days, we had hundreds of followers. Then thousands. Then something clicked: we realized there was a real thirst in the Israeli public for unfiltered information from Iran — without spin, without intermediaries.”
As demand grew, they recognized the need to expand their team: “We began looking for Persian-speaking volunteers who truly understood the culture from within. We found that there weren’t many. People contacted us offering Arabic, but we needed Persian."
"Iran is a completely different world with a distinct history, language, and conceptual framework. It’s not enough to just translate words. You need to understand the context, the subtext, and the political and religious implications," they said.
Expanding the network to keep up with updates in Iran
They were joined by Persian speakers from Israel’s Iranian community, scholars of Persian culture, religion, and language, and former intelligence personnel.
“Today, we have a network of dozens of people who help us in real time. Some upload content, some edit, some translate. They work moment by moment. We receive reports from the ground in Iran, edit them, and post concise tweets. Within minutes, those tweets appear in TV news broadcasts and make their way to newspaper headlines.”
According to the founders, the account has quickly become an essential tool for official organizations as well. “We get inquiries from state agencies, including security bodies. We collaborate with them as long as it concerns national security. We’re not doing this for profit. There’s no organization behind us. It’s all out of a sense of duty, understanding that we’re bridging the gap between the Israeli public and a country that everyone talks about, but few truly understand.”
They recall one particularly telling instance: “A week ago, we posted about regime symbols and the need to remove them. And today, we’re seeing that happen. We’re often the first to identify significant developments. We’re not claiming to have the full picture, but when you’re exposed to hundreds of real-time reports from the ground every day, you begin to make sense of it. You see the pieces starting to connect.”
The responses haven’t been long in coming, not only from Israel but from around the world: “Exiled Iranians reach out to us, translating our posts into German and Spanish. Some view Israel as a beacon of hope. Just as we once looked to Cyrus, they now look to us. There are tens of millions of educated, liberal Iranians who support us. They want change. They’re waiting for something to happen.”
As for their personal estimates for what happens next? “Our gut feeling is that it’s hard to believe there will be a normal ceasefire. The Iranian regime is losing one card after another. Every day that passes, Israel grows stronger and the regime weaker. The dynamics aren’t balanced. Israel and the US are working together, and the direction is clear — this won’t stop. Will the regime collapse? Will a revolution take place? Will the Shah’s son return? Everything is on the table. And we’ll be there to document, translate, and report it as it happens — no filters, no background noise. Just real-time truth from the ground.”