Hacked Prayer App Sends ‘Surrender’ Messages to Iranians Amid Israeli Strikes
#Israeli Strikes #Hacked Prayer App #Tehran #Internet Blackout #Cyber Warfare #Iran Protests #BadeSaba Calendar #Surrender Messages
📌 Key Takeaways
- Israeli and US forces launched preemptive strikes on Tehran
- A popular prayer app was hacked to send surrender messages to Iranians
- Iran is experiencing severe internet blackouts and cyber attacks
- Unknown hackers strategically timed the app notifications with the strikes
- Iran has launched retaliatory attacks across the Middle East
📖 Full Retelling
Israeli and US forces launched preemptive airstrikes against Tehran on February 28, 2026, after failed diplomatic negotiations and amid ongoing protests in Iran that resulted in over 3,000 civilian deaths, coinciding with mysterious 'surrender' messages sent to Iranians through a hacked prayer app called 'BadeSaba Calendar'. The attacks began in the early hours of Saturday morning, with residents across Tehran and other Iranian cities jolted awake by explosions, as the countries labeled their operation 'preemptive strikes.' Shortly after the first explosions, Iranians received a series of push notifications from the popular prayer app, which has over 5 million downloads, urging military personnel to surrender with promises of amnesty and to join 'the forces of liberation.' The messages began at 9:52 am Tehran time with the phrase 'Help Has Arrived' and continued over a 30-minute period, with no party claiming responsibility for the hack. Cybersecurity analysts confirmed the notifications were sent but have been unable to identify the source, with some suggesting it may have been Israel or anti-government Iranian groups, while others note it was likely a strategically planned cyber operation by a nation-state.
🏷️ Themes
Cyber Warfare, International Conflict, Digital Rights, Military Operations
📚 Related People & Topics
Tehran
Capital and largest city of Iran
Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is also the capital of Tehran province and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District. With a population of around 9 million in the city, and 16.8 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran a...
Entity Intersection Graph
Connections for Tehran:
👤
Donald Trump
5 shared
🌐
Iran
5 shared
👤
Military operation
2 shared
🌐
Israel
2 shared
🌐
Iran protests
2 shared
Original Source
Ruchi Kumar Security Feb 28, 2026 10:58 AM Hacked Prayer App Sends ‘Surrender’ Messages to Iranians Amid Israeli Strikes As Israeli airstrikes hit Tehran this morning, Iranians received mysterious push notifications saying that “help is on the way,” promising amnesty if they surrender. Illustration: Wired Middle East Staff/Getty Images Save this story Save this story Residents across Tehran and other Iranian cities were jolted awake by sounds of loud explosions in the early hours of Saturday morning, as Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran . The attacks, which the US and Israel are calling “preemptive strikes,” come after a period of failed negotiations between the countries, and on the heels of mass protests in Iran earlier this year that saw the death of at least 3,117 civilians, according to government statistics. Shortly after the first set of explosions, Iranians received bursts of notifications on their phones. They came not from the government advising caution, but from an apparently hacked prayer-timing app called ‘BadeSaba Calendar’ that has been downloaded more than 5 million times from the Google Play Store. The messages arrived in quick succession over a period of 30 minutes, starting with the phrase ‘Help Has Arrived’ at 9:52 am Tehran time, shortly after the first set of explosions. No party has claimed responsibility for the hacks. Screenshots shared with WIRED Middle East show messages urging Iranian military personnel to surrender their weapons with the promise of amnesty. They also urged army personnel to join “the forces of liberation” and to “defend your brothers.” “The time for revenge has come,” one notification received at 10:02 am read (translated from Farsi). “The regime's repressive forces will pay for their cruel and merciless actions against the innocent people of Iran. Anyone who joins in defending and protecting the Iranian nation will be granted amnesty and forgiveness.” “For the freedom of our Iranian brothers and sisters,...
Read full article at source