Iran launches online platform to report dissidents abroad

Iranian authorities have launched a new online portal called the 'Elaaj System,' designed to facilitate reports against Iranians living abroad whom the government labels as 'traitors' or considers a threat to national interests. The platform, available through a website and communication channels, promises to protect the identity of informants under the banner of 'protecting national security.'

This move is part of Tehran's efforts to build a community surveillance network monitoring the activities and statements of exiled dissidents. The initiative has sparked concerns that the platform could be used for settling personal scores or exerting indirect pressure on dissidents' families inside Iran, according to Al Arabiya.

Meanwhile, security and cyber agencies in the UK, US, and the Netherlands have issued a joint warning containing detailed intelligence. The advisory explains how individuals linked to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security are using spyware applications known as 'CHOSEN BRICK' to hack the devices of dissidents, activists, and journalists.

The UK National Cyber Security Centre and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated that these campaigns rely on phishing through popular apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram. Attackers impersonate trusted entities and send fabricated documents—including fake medical test results—to lure victims into downloading the malicious software.