The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) published instructions in Farsi on social media for Iranians who wish to contact the agency securely, at a time when Washington is reinforcing its military presence in the Middle East and conducting critical negotiations with Tehran in Geneva.

The post appeared on the CIA’s official accounts on X, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and YouTube and is part of a broader campaign to recruit sources in countries such as Iran, China, North Korea, and Russia.

The initiative coincides with a significant buildup of U.S. military forces in the Middle East, during a period in which Donald Trump has left open the possibility of military action against Iran if the Geneva talks fail to reach an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program. In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump said he would not allow the Islamic Republic— which he described as “the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism”—to acquire a nuclear weapon. Iranian officials deny seeking a nuclear arsenal.

In its message, the CIA urges those who wish to make contact to “take appropriate measures” to protect themselves before taking any action and to avoid using work computers or personal phones. “Use, if possible, a new, disposable device,” and “be aware of your surroundings and who may be watching your screen or activity,” the message states. It also notes that anyone reaching out should provide their location, name, job title, and “access to information or skills of interest to the agency.”

The agency also recommends using a trusted Virtual Private Network (VPN) “not based in Russia, Iran, or China,” or the Tor network, which encrypts data and conceals the user’s IP address. The CIA declined to comment further, while Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It is noted that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are holding indirect talks in Geneva with Iranian officials led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over Tehran’s nuclear program. Donald Trump has warned that he may order military action if the talks collapse or if Iran’s leadership proceeds with executions of detainees arrested during nationwide anti-government protests in January.