CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper has warned that cellphone videos and social media posts can help Iran assess the effectiveness of its strikes on American bases, and some deployed U.S. troops could soon be ordered to surrender their phones, Reuters reports.
In a July 28 letter obtained by Reuters, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said photos, videos, and news reports can provide Iran with near-real-time battle damage assessments, potentially enabling more effective follow-up attacks.
Some troops in Jordan have already been told their phones will be confiscated in the coming days, while a broader regional policy is under consideration for operational security reasons.
Cooper also cited a recent video recorded on Meta smart glasses (
https://t.me/tabzlive/95039) during an Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan as an example of how publicly shared footage can reveal sensitive information about U.S. military operations.