US Central Command (CENTCOM) has warned that Iran is exploiting social media posts and footage shared by American troops in the Middle East to improve the accuracy of its strikes, prompting the US military to consider ordering personnel to surrender their personal mobile phones. The move reflects growing concern that seemingly innocuous posts, photos and videos can reveal troop locations, movements and numbers, giving Iranian forces an intelligence advantage amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The warning comes against a backdrop of escalating rhetoric, with President Trump vowing a forceful response after Iran launched a surprise missile strike, and retired General Jack Keane calling for a "comprehensive attack" targeting the Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership, ballistic missiles and drone capabilities. Any decision to confiscate troops' devices would mark a significant operational security measure, underscoring how digital footprints have become a battlefield vulnerability for deployed US forces.