Random Numbers, Persian Code: A Mysterious Signal
a day ago
- #shortwave_radio
- #cryptography
- #espionage
- A mysterious Persian-language numbers station began broadcasting on February 28, shortly after US and Israel bombed Iran.
- The station broadcasts random numbers followed by 'attention' (tavajjoh) three times, typical of Cold War-era spy communications.
- On March 4, the signal was jammed with electronic noise, suggesting adversarial interference.
- Numbers stations use unbreakable encryption via one-time pads, making messages secure even if intercepted.
- The origin of the V32 transmission was triangulated to a broad area in Western Europe.
- The jamming resembles Cold War tactics used against Western broadcasts like Radio Free Europe.
- Theories suggest the station could be operated by the US, Israel, or Iran, possibly for spy communications or psychological operations.
- The CIA did not comment on the station's purpose or origin.
- ABC News reported US law enforcement alerts about intercepted encrypted communications, possibly linked to the numbers station.