The CIA reportedly used Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to carry out a deception campaign inside Iran during an attempt to rescue a downed American pilot, according to a report from The Times of London. The operation followed the reported downing of a US F-15E fighter jet by an shoulder-fired missile.
According to the report, the agency leveraged the spyware to send false messages to senior Iranian leadership and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operatives, claiming that the missing pilot had already been located. The goal was to mislead Iranian forces and create operational confusion during the rescue effort.
Source: Amichai Stein (i24)
IMPORTANT: In November 2021, the US Commerce Department blacklisted NSO Group. In 2023, the Biden administration issued an executive order banning US government agencies from using commercial spyware like Pegasus if it poses risks of abuse or human rights violations
