Transcendent moments in geopolitics that reverberate around the world are no longer just forged in the streets or inside situation rooms. They are increasingly engineered in the digital sphere, where actors, often with a self-serving agenda, compete to control the narrative, define its meaning and decide who speaks for whom. In recent weeks as protests erupted in Iranian cities, the hashtag #FreeThePersianPeople trended on X. The campaign was accompanied by a flood of posts heralding an imminent “decisive moment” in Iran’s history and presenting themselves as the authentic voice of the Iranian people. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list However, an extensive data analysis by Al Jazeera reveals a different picture. Data from Tweet Binder reveals that most of the posts lack organic engagement [Al Jazeera] Tracking the sources of this interaction and its dissemination paths uncovers that the digital campaign did not originate organically from within Iran. Instead, it was spearheaded by external networks – primarily accounts linked to Israel or pro-Israel circles – that played a central role in manufacturing momentum …