An analysis by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue revealed an Iranian information operation targeting Ireland. The operation involved impersonated social media accounts from Iran, Russia, and China posting about Ireland. Ciaran O’Connor from The Irish Times mentioned Storm-2035, a covert influence operation linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a possible part of this activity.
The analysis found that the accounts had profile location data indicating access from Iran. Additionally, AI platforms like Chat GPT were used to create content criticizing the US and Israel while expressing support for Iran and Palestine. O’Connor highlighted how public figures from the UK and North America have increasingly focused on Ireland in recent years.
O’Connor noted that foreign state-backed actors targeting Ireland in the digital age is a topic that needs further exploration. Last year, four accounts impersonating Irish individuals were identified, with no evidence suggesting their authenticity. These accounts, claiming to be recent converts to Islam, all expressed aspirations for a united Ireland.
The accounts predominantly posted about former IRGC Major General Qasem Soleimani, especially around the anniversary of his assassination. O’Connor pointed out that Russian activity was widely dispersed, utilizing distribution pipelines to circulate content from state media through various outlets. Migration in Ireland was also exploited by state-backed entities to push narratives about Western government fragility and EU sovereignty issues.
A Facebook page named ‘CGTN Gaeilge,’ seemingly operated by China’s state-run media channel CGTN, was identified in the research. Previously named CGTN Malagasy, the page transitioned to focus on China and Ireland, publishing content in English and Irish that appeared to be machine-translated.
