Iranian Prayer App Hacked to Send Defection Messages Amid Regional Strikes

On February 28, a widely used Iranian prayer app, BadeSaba Calendar, was reportedly hacked to send messages urging Iranian military personnel to defect and surrender amid US and Israeli strikes targeting Iranian facilities. The messages, appearing over 30 minutes, encouraged users to join opposition forces or lay down arms. While no group has claimed responsibility, cybersecurity experts suggest the operation bears hallmarks of Israeli involvement. Concurrent cyberattacks also affected Iranian state media and network traffic.