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Washington, United States
In a new string of developments in the ongoing conflict between Iran and its proxies, and Israel and its allies, the US military advertisement on the dating app Tinder has been surfacing in Lebanon, warning them not to take arms against America, and assuring that the US will protect its allies from the Iranian regime and its proxies.
The warning was seen last week on the US-based dating app, in Arabic beneath the pictures of US warplanes, stating, "Do not take up arms against the United States or its partners,” it said, noting that America “will protect its partners in the face of threats from the Iranian regime and its proxies.”
"Central Command is “fully prepared” and ready to employ F-16 and A-10 aircraft “currently in the region," the message added.
The platform where the ad was surfacing, i.e. Tinder, has sparked conversations, about the US military's online information operations, aimed at influencing the views of global audiences and countering what the government perceives as misleading narratives from foreign adversaries.
According to one US official familiar with the matter, the ad which is believed to be a part of a broader campaign in what is commonly called psychological operations or military information supporting operations, belonged to Central Command (CENTCOM), The Washington Post reported.
CENTCOM declines to comment
However, the Central Command declined to comment on the matter, saying it generally does not discuss information operations, as reported by The Washington Post.
"Broadly speaking and as a matter of policy, the Department of Defense does conduct military information operations in support of our national security priorities. These activities must be undertaken in compliance with US law and DOD policy, and we are committed to enforcing those safeguards," a defence official told the Washington Post.
Later, Tinder removed the ad after The Post inquired about it. Company's spokesperson Philip Fry, said that it “violated our policies” on violent and political messaging.
Reaction from Lebanon
Meanwhile, a freelance journalist from Lebanon, Séamus Malekafzali, said that he saw the ad when he opened Tinder. He posted screenshots of the ad on X, which made the post viral.
Moreover, “Who on earth approved this and how high was everyone in their chain of command?” Timothy Kaldas, the deputy director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, posted on X.
Watch: US says Iran and its proxies can attack Israel 'any time'
One of the US military psyops officers said, “On its face, I doubt it would be very effective,” said the officer, who has worked on information operations campaigns and was not authorized to speak on the record. “What message is it that they think will resonate here?” the officer said. “This is just an in-your-face ‘don’t mess with me."
According to a report by The Washington Post, the Tinder Ad was not a clandestine campaign, as CENTCOM's logo was clearly visible. Notably, all military psyops campaigns, whether overt or clandestine get approved by a policy set by the Pentagon.
(With inputs from agencies)