'Indian software helped Israel gather sensitive data': Bizarre claim by Iranian hardline newspaper Kayhan

A prominent hardline Iranian newspaper has made a shocking claim that Indian software used in Iran were exploited by Israeli intelligence agencies to collect sensitive information on Iranian residents. 

The claim, without any evidence, was published by Kayhan, one of the most-read conservative newspapers in the country. In a special news article titled "How did the infiltration software enter the country?" Kayhan said many Iran is dependent on Indian software and programmers due to India's dominance in the sector. 

"Investigation into the Mossad infiltration in Iran revealed a shocking truth. Many of the Indian software used in Iran are actually Israeli and contain backdoors that send live data to Israel. This includes sensitive information such as civil registration, passport data, airport systems, and the like," Kayhan said. 

The newspaper then makes a bizarre claim that some of these programmers were in touch with Israel via Elon Musk's Starlink, which is yet to start operations in the country. 

The report then goes on to claim that this "software sometimes disrupts military equipment and allows for remote control operations." The report also claims that similar software is being used in the Gulf States, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. This means that everyone entering and leaving these countries is monitored and their information is shared with Israel, the newspaper states, adding that India has not reacted to these exposures.

The report added that Iran is currently investigating allegations. Many  Iranian government institutions, including airports and passport offices, use Indian-made applications and software systems for their operations. 

Interestingly, tech giant Microsoft had earlier warned that Iranian hackers were increasingly targeting software services companies in India in a bid to access the networks of their customers. "As India and other nations rise as major IT services hubs, more nation-state actors follow the supply chain to target these providers’ public and private sector customers around the world matching nation-state interests," Microsoft said in a blog post.

Middle East