A new analysis of social media activity during the opening days of Operation Epic Fury suggests that much of the online backlash and anti-Israel content may not have been driven by Americans at all.
The report identified recurring stories from foreign-based narratives, including claims that the operation was a “betrayal of MAGA,” “deeply unpopular with the American people” and was carried out “on behalf of Israel.”
Sixty percent of the most viral posts on
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Local groups and residents speak out against the US-Israeli war against Iran during a local protest in Townsend Park on Sunday, March 1, 2026 in Albany, NY (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)
The analysis examined 100 highly X-viral posts between February 28 and March 7 – each with more than 10,000 shares. In total, posts containing the word “Iran” generated 98 million messages, 696.4 million interactions and an estimated 1.5 trillion potential views, making it one of the largest online information events ever.
Foreign accounts alone generated 155.6 million views, compared to 93.4 million from U.S. accounts, surpassing 60 million views in the sample.
Even more striking, every foreign post in the dataset was negative about the operation, while the only supportive content came from American users, Argyle found.
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JP Castellanos, director of threat intelligence at Binary Defense and a former member of the US Central Command’s Active Cyber Defense Team, said much of the activity targets Israel and combines disruption with messaging. “About 42% of the attacks we see or the claims we see online are against Israel,” Castellanos said.
He also pointed to doxxing campaigns and AI-generated videos “that are essentially trying to shape the information space.”
A big part of the challenge, Castellanos says, is distinguishing real cyber incidents from inflated online claims from hacktivist groups seeking attention.
“A lot of times these are just claims they put online,” he said.
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Researchers say the scale, consistency and geographic spread of the messages indicate a coordinated effort rather than an organic global debate.
Cyber threat analysts say the online narrative campaign is unfolding alongside broader activities by pro-Iranian and like-minded groups in the digital space.
One of the most prominent groups to emerge in the current conflict, Castellanos says, is Handala, an Iran-linked hacking operation that has claimed responsibility for attacks on both American and Israeli targets. Among the most influential voices driving engagement, seven of the top 10 accounts were based outside the United States, including accounts linked to Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and South Asia.
U.S. authorities and cybersecurity firms have linked Handala to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, describing it as part of a broader effort that combines cyberattacks with psychological and information operations.
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