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U.S. Targets Iranian Public with Information Campaign
(Wall Street Journal) Sune Engel Rasmussen and Michael Amon - The U.S. is trying to win over the Iranian public with an information campaign, with hashtags, YouTube videos and traditional pro-U.S. media outlets blaming the country's economic hardship on its leaders. For example, it has used Persian-language social media to blame deadly floods this year on government mismanagement. American officials say U.S.-sponsored radio stations including Voice of America now reach more than 14 million Iranians inside the country each week - 23% of the nation's adults. U.S. officials say they have ramped up efforts in response to Iran's own disinformation campaign. Iran's operatives have impersonated major media outlets and research institutes and flooded social media with fake accounts sharing false articles critical of the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Israel.