‘Life is full of unexpected surprises': People trying to call Iran meet mysterious voice message
People trying to call friends and loved ones inside Iran have instead been met with strange, pre-recorded voice messages, which some experts believe may be part of the regime's wider internet blackout.
In a recording of a telephone call heard by CNN, a person outside of Iran hoping to hear their friend's voice on the other line, was instead met with a robotic voice. 'Hello, and thank you for taking the time to listen,' the voice says.
'Life is full of unexpected surprises,' it continues, 'and these surprises can sometimes bring joy while, at other times, they challenge us.
'The key is to discover the strength within us to overcome these challenges.'
The unsettling message, which lasts nearly 90 seconds, then goes on to recommend the listener close their eyes and imagine themself in a place that brings them 'peace and happiness.'
While different variations have been reported, this version appears to have been the one most commonly heard by people outside Iran placing calls to mobile phones inside the country on Wednesday and Thursday. No similar message was reported when calling landlines.
The messages were widely heard after Iran imposed nationwide temporary restrictions on internet access on Wednesday, citing security concerns. This meant WhatsApp was down, so people abroad began calling their friends and family in Iran directly, rather than via the app. The message is reportedly not heard if the call is made through an app.
The initial assumption for many Iranians was that the messages were the result of an Israeli cyberattack. Others see the Iranian authorities as being behind them.
Alp Toker, the founder and director of NetBlocks, a non-governmental organization that monitors internet governance, believes the messages are an attempt by the Iranian government to limit telecommunications, as part of the wider internet censorship measures.
'The point is, when the internet is cut, the phones need to go somewhere, and that will go to the fallback message on the device,' he told CNN.
Toker added it was a phenomenon NetBlocks had seen in different places around the world when internet access was cut. 'Sometimes it will have an advert for summer vacations and sometimes it will have some other nonsense,' he said.
According to Toker, the messages are text-to-speech generated. He believes they appear to have been set up rapidly.
'It's in the format of a normal gateway answering message of the type you might get from a national gateway when a phone doesn't answer,' he said. 'It seems that they've gone with the settings, and there's a little box where you can put in the settings and they've put something in there, pre-AI generated.'
Meanwhile, a UK-based telecommunications expert who listened to a recording of the most commonly heard message told CNN that 'the call appears to be hijacked after the second ring, which is highly unusual and deeply concerning. This suggests interference at the network level – well before a proper connection is established.' The expert asked not to be named for safety reasons.
Neither Israel nor Iran has made a public statement on the recorded phone messages.
Access to international internet services had been partially restored in parts of Iran on Saturday 'after approximately 62 hours of severe disruption,' NetBlocks said.
'While some regions have seen improvements, overall connectivity remains below ordinary levels, continuing to hinder people's ability to communicate freely and access independent information,' it added.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that international internet services would resume by 8 p.m. local time Saturday, citing the communications minister. However, Tasnim later reported that this was not the case, citing the same minister.
According to the communications ministry, Iranians abroad can now contact their families inside Iran through domestic messaging apps.
The Iranian government has frequently restricted internet access in the country. During nationwide protests in 2022, authorities implemented multiple internet shutdowns in an effort to stifle dissent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Trump's ‘Two Weeks' Pause on Iran Strikes Comes With High Stakes
President Donald Trump often suggests that something will happen in 'two weeks' when he's looking to buy himself some time. But his latest two-weeks declaration — on possible US military strikes in Iran — comes with unusually high stakes. The pause, after days of bellicose rhetoric and social posts about evacuating Tehran, rattled markets in the region, triggered new threats from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, led Iranian officials to call the US Israel's 'partner in crime' and left Israel in a holding pattern.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Gold prices should hit $4,000 as U.S. deficits may overshadow the Israel-Iran conflict, BofA says
Wars and geopolitical conflicts typically aren't long-term growth drivers for gold prices, according to analysts at Bank of America, which sees the precious metal reaching $4,000 an ounce over the next year. Despite the Israel-Iran conflict heating up, the outlook for gold is likely to be swayed more by the U.S. budget deficit. Gold is often seen as a safe-haven asset during times of global turmoil, but wars and geopolitical conflicts typically aren't long-term growth drivers for gold prices, according to analysts at Bank of America. In fact, gold has actually dipped 2% in the week since Israel began its airstrikes on Iran. Meanwhile, tensions are ramping as reports Saturday said B-2 stealth bombers are headed over the Pacific. That's as President Donald Trump weighs involvement in the conflict, potentially with bombers dropping massive 'bunker busters' on heavily fortified Iranian nuclear sites. In a note on Friday, BofA analysts said they expect gold prices to reach $4,000 per ounce in the next year, representing an 18% jump from current levels. 'While the war between Israel and Iran can always escalate, conflicts are not usually a sustained bullish price driver,' they wrote. 'As such, the trajectory of the US budget negotiations will be critical, and if fiscal shortfalls don't decline, the fallout from that plus market volatility may end up attracting more buyers.' The Israel-Iran conflict has drawn attention away from Trump's tax-and-spending bill making its way through Congress. While the House and Senate versions have key differences that need to be reconciled before it can become law, the bill's fiscal impact is still expected to add trillions of dollars to U.S. deficits in the coming years. That's raised fears about the sustainability of U.S. debt and global demand for the flood of Treasury bonds that will be issued to finance all the red ink. And amid Trump's trade war, the U.S. dollar—traditionally viewed as a haven asset—has suffered as well, slumping against other top currencies and providing more upside to gold. Central banks around the world have dumped $48 billion in Treasuries since late March alone. At the same time, central banks keep buying gold, continuing a trend that began years earlier. A recent survey from the World Gold Council found that geopolitical instability and potential trade conflicts are chief reasons why central banks in emerging economies are shifting toward gold at a much faster rate than those in advanced economies. BofA estimated the central banks' gold holdings are now equivalent to just under 18% of outstanding U.S. public debt, up from 13% a decade ago. 'That tally should be a warning for US policymakers. Ongoing apprehension over trade and US fiscal deficits may well divert more central bank purchases away from US Treasuries to gold,' analysts warned. Meanwhile, the market still doesn't appear to be overexposed to gold. BofA estimated that investors have allocated just 3.5% of their portfolios to gold. And regardless of how Congress ends up rewriting the budget bill, analysts said deficits will remain elevated. 'Therefore, market concerns over fiscal sustainability are unlikely to fade no matter the result of Senate negotiations,' BofA predicted. 'Rates volatility and a weaker USD should then keep gold supported, especially if the US Treasury or the Fed are ultimately forced to step in and support markets.' This story was originally featured on
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
State Dept Starts Exit Flights From Israel as Trump Mulls War Entry
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. State Department has begun "assisted departure flights" for U.S. citizens and lawful residents out of Israel, according to a notice issued Saturday. The move comes as President Donald Trump is expected to meet with his National Security Council on Saturday evening to discuss the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. Newsweek has reached out to the State Department for comment via email on Saturday. The U.S. embassy in Israel directed Newsweek to the State Department's media inquiry form. Why It Matters Over the past few days, the conflict between Israel and Iran has escalated dramatically, with Trump calling for the evacuation of Tehran, Iran's capital city home to over 9.5 million people. Israel initially struck Tehran and several other cities in "Operation Rising Lion," a campaign it said was meant to preempt a planned Iranian attack and disrupt Iran's nuclear capabilities. Iran, which has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, has since retaliated, though Israeli defense systems—bolstered by U.S. military technology—have intercepted about 99 percent of incoming missile fire, according to Israeli officials in Saturday morning in an X, formerly Twitter, post. Iran hit a hospital in southern Israel on Thursday, and local reports noted that buildings in Tel Aviv were on fire from Iranian missiles on Friday. The U.S. is Israel's closest ally, providing billions of dollars in military aid annually. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that Trump is expected to make a decision about whether to directly support Israel in its attacks against Iran within the next two weeks. What To Know The State Department on Saturday issued a notice with information for U.S. citizens and lawful residents in Iran and Israel on how to leave the countries. It said, "The Department of State has begun assisted departure flights from Israel," but did not provide further details, including the number or origin of the flights. The State Department has not responded to Newsweek's request for comment as of Saturday afternoon. The government hasn't offered such flights since the beginning of the war between Hamas and Israel that started on October 7, 2023. Individuals seeking U.S. government assistance to depart, should complete the crisis intake form on the State Department's website. Duplicate requests may cause delays, so people are encouraged to file it once. "U.S. citizens seeking to depart Israel or the West Bank should take the first available option, even if it is not your first choice of destination," the notice stated. It addressed that there are third parties assisting people to leave Israel via land borders to Jordan and Egypt as well as by sea to Cyprus. "While we are not able to endorse any providers, we know some have been able to successfully help U.S. citizens. The U.S. Embassy is also aware that there are commercial opportunities to depart Israel by ship, and U.S. citizens should check local media if other commercial opportunities arise to depart as we may not be able to provide the information before such travel options sell out," the notice reads. U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted on his X, formerly Twitter, about the announcement and wrote, "'Operation Exodus' is helping US Citizens evacuate Israel. We can't part the Red Sea, but are parting the 'Red Tape' to help people who wish to leave!" He added that the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem "has arranged for masses to leave & our team is working around the clock to assist." The post continued: "Once on the list you will find out options to leave via cruise ship, commercial or charter flight or a few US Gov't operated flights. If given an option, TAKE IT. If you turn down evac offer, it will be offered to next person on list." In another X post on Saturday, Huckabee reaffirmed that the "assisted departure flights" have commenced and that individuals who would like to be considered need to fill out the online form first. Earlier this week, Trump shared reported text messages from Huckabee on his Truth Social account, calling the ambassador a "great person!" The messages read, "I believe you will hear from heaven and that voice is far more important than mine or ANYONE else's." The State Department notice also states that due to the closure of the Iranian airspace, U.S. citizens seeking to leave the country should "depart by land to Azerbaijan, Armenia, or Türkiye if they deem conditions are safe/if they can do so safely," the notice said, adding that "because of the limitations on consular support in Iran, we do not anticipate offering direct U.S. government assisted departure from Iran. U.S. citizens seeking departure should take advantage of existing means to leave Iran." U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee are seen with Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in Jerusalem on May 26. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee are seen with Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in Jerusalem on May 26. AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool What People Are Saying Governor Ron DeSantis, a Florida Republican, wrote Friday on X: "Welcome home to those rescued from the escalating Iranian attacks against Israel. The mission has been challenging, but Florida delivered solutions. Through the partnership of @FLSERT and @greybullrescue, we are proud to be the first to welcome these individuals home." Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said in a June 18 X post: "President Trump has handled the Israel-Iran conflict brilliantly thus far. Israel dominates the skies and has destroyed Iran's military and scientific leadership. They have also done great damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure. However the one site left standing - the deep underground Fordow site - must be dealt with to achieve the common objective of making sure Iran's nuclear enrichment program ends..." President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on June 16: "AMERICA FIRST means many GREAT things, including the fact that, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to Trump, said on his show, The War Room: "Come on, man. We have to have an adult conversation. We're not going to let the shills at Fox—the same exact crowd that said the same thing about the Iraq War—force the President of the United States into a corner. He needs a range of options." What Happens Next The conflict remains volatile, with Israel continuing its military campaign and Iran vowing not to back down. Reports also indicate American bombers and naval fleets are mobilizing in preparation for U.S. war efforts.
