A woman tried to call her mom in Iran. A robotic voice answered the phone

This picture shows a general view of Iran's capital Tehran on June 16, 2025. (AFP)
This picture shows a general view of Iran's capital Tehran on June 16, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 21 June 2025
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A woman tried to call her mom in Iran. A robotic voice answered the phone

This picture shows a general view of Iran's capital Tehran on June 16, 2025. (AFP)
  • “Calling your mom and expecting to hear her voice and hearing an AI voice is one of the most scary things I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “I can feel it in my body”

DUBAI: When Ellie, a British-Iranian living in the United Kingdom, tried to call her mother in Tehran, a robotic female voice answered instead.

“Alo? Alo?” the voice said, then asked in English: “Who is calling?” A few seconds passed.

“I can’t heard you,” the voice continued, its English imperfect. “Who you want to speak with? I’m Alyssia. Do you remember me? I think I don’t know who are you.”

Ellie, 44, is one of nine Iranians living abroad — including in the UK and US — who said they have gotten strange, robotic voices when they attempted to call their loved ones in Iran since Israel launched airstrikes on the country a week ago.

They told their stories to The Associated Press on the condition they remain anonymous or that only their first names or initials be used out of fear of endangering their families.

Five experts with whom the AP shared recordings said it could be low-tech artificial intelligence, a chatbot or a pre-recorded message to which calls from abroad were diverted.

It remains unclear who is behind the operation, though four of the experts believed it was likely to be the Iranian government while the fifth saw Israel as more likely.

The messages are deeply eerie and disconcerting for Iranians in the diaspora struggling to contact their families as Israel’s offensive targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites pounds Tehran and other cities. Iran has retaliated with hundreds of missiles and drones, and the government has imposed a widespread Internet blackout it says is to protect the country.

That has blocked average Iranians from getting information from the outside world, and their relatives from being able to reach them.

“I don’t know why they’re doing this,” said Ellie, whose mother is diabetic, low on insulin and trapped on the outskirts of Tehran. She wants her mother to evacuate the city but cannot communicate that to her.

A request for comment sent to the Iranian mission to the UN was not immediately answered.

Some of the messages are bizarre

Most of the voices speak in English, though at least one spoke Farsi. If the caller tries to talk to it, the voice just continues with its message.

A 30-year-old women living in New York, who heard the same message Ellie did, called it “psychological warfare.”

“Calling your mom and expecting to hear her voice and hearing an AI voice is one of the most scary things I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “I can feel it in my body.”

And the messages can be bizarre. One woman living in the UK desperately called her mom and instead got a voice offering platitudes.

“Thank you for taking the time to listen,” it said, in a recording that she shared with the AP. “Today, I’d like to share some thoughts with you and share a few things that might resonate in our daily lives. Life is full of unexpected surprises, and these surprises can sometimes bring joy while at other times they challenge us.”

Not all Iranians abroad encounter the robotic voice. Some said when they try to call family, the phone just rings and rings.

It’s not clear who is behind this — or what the goal is

Colin Crowell, a former vice president for Twitter’s global policy, said it appeared that Iranian phone companies were diverting the calls to a default message system that does not allow calls to be completed.

Amir Rashidi, an Iranian cybersecurity expert based in the US, agreed and said the recordings appeared to be a government measure to thwart hackers, though there was no hard evidence.

He said that in the first two days of Israel’s campaign, mass voice and text messages were sent to Iranian phones urging the public to gear up for “emergency conditions.” They aimed to spread panic — similar to mass calls that government opponents made into Iran during the war with Iraq in the 1980s.

The voice messages trying to calm people “fit the pattern of the Iranian government and how in the past it handled emergency situations,” said Rashidi, the director of Texas-based Miaan, a group that reports on digital rights in the Middle East.

Mobile phones and landlines ultimately are overseen by Iran’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. But the country’s intelligence services have long been believed to be monitoring conversations.

“It would be hard for anybody else to hack. Of course, it is possible it is Israeli. But I don’t think they have an incentive to do this,” said Mehdi Yahyanejad, a tech entrepreneur and Internet freedom activist.

Marwa Fatafta, Berlin-based policy and advocacy director for digital rights group Access Now, suggested it could be “a form of psychological warfare by the Israelis.” She said it fits a past pattern by Israel of using extensive direct messaging to Lebanese and Palestinians during campaigns in Gaza and against Hezbollah.

The messages, she said, appear aimed at “tormenting” already anxious Iranians abroad.

When contacted with requests for comment, the Israeli military declined and the prime minister’s office did not respond.

Trying new ways to contact relatives

Ellie is one of a lucky few who found a way to reach relatives since the blackout. She knows someone who lives on the Iran-Turkiye border and has two phones — one with a Turkish SIM card and one with an Iranian SIM.

He calls Ellie’s mother with the Iranian phone — since people inside the country are still able to call one another — and presses it to the Turkish phone, where Ellie’s on the line. The two are able to speak.

“The last time we spoke to her, we told her about the AI voice that is answering all her calls,” said Ellie. “She was shocked. She said her phone hasn’t rung at all.”

Elon Musk said he has activated his satellite Internet provider Starlink in Iran, where a small number of people are believed to have the system, even though it is illegal. Authorities are urging the public to turn in neighbors with the devices as part of an ongoing spy hunt. Others have illegal satellite dishes, granting them access to international news.

The messages are making relatives feel helpless

M., a woman in the UK, has been trying to reach her mother-in-law, who is immobile and lives in Tehran’s northeast, which has been pummeled by Israeli bombardment throughout the week.

When she last spoke to her family in Iran, they were mulling whether she should evacuate from the city. Then the blackout was imposed, and they lost contact. Since then she has heard through a relative that the woman was in the ICU with respiratory problems.

When she calls, she gets the same bizarre message as the woman in the UK, a lengthy mantra.

“Close your eyes and picture yourself in a place that brings you peace and happiness,” it says. “Maybe you are walking through a serene forest, listening to the rustle of leaves and birds chirping. Or you’re by the seashore, hearing the calming sound of waves crashing on the sand.”

The only feeling the message does instill in her, she said, is “helplessness.”


Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 93 Palestinians, including several families, health officials say

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 93 Palestinians, including several families, health officials say
Updated 18 sec ago
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Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 93 Palestinians, including several families, health officials say

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 93 Palestinians, including several families, health officials say
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Israeli strikes overnight and into Tuesday killed more than 90 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, including dozens of women and children, health officials said.
One strike in the northern Shati refugee camp killed a 68-year-old Hamas member of the Palestinian legislature, as well as a man and a woman and their six children who were sheltering in the same building, according to officials from Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken.
One of the deadliest strikes hit a house in Gaza City’s Tel Al-Hawa district on Monday evening and killed 19 members of the family living inside, according to Shifa Hospital. The dead included eight women and six children. A strike on a tent housing displaced people in the same district killed a man and a woman and their two children.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strikes.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said in a daily report Tuesday afternoon that the bodies of 93 people killed by Israeli strikes had been brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours, along with 278 wounded. It did not specify the total number of women and children among the dead.
The Hamas politician killed in a strike early Tuesday, Mohammed Faraj Al-Ghoul, was a member of the bloc of representatives from the group that won seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council in the last election held among Palestinians, in 2006.
Hamas won a majority in the vote, but relations with the main Fatah faction that had long led the Palestinian Authority unraveled and ended with Hamas taking over the Gaza Strip in 2007. The legislative council has not formally convened since.
The Israeli military says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas. But daily, it hits homes and shelters where people are living without warning or explanation of the target.
The latest attacks came after US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held two days of talks last week that ended with no sign of a breakthrough in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release.
Israel has killed more than 58,400 Palestinians and wounded more than 139,000 others in its retaliation campaign since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Just over half the dead are women and children, according to the ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally.
The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, is led by medical professionals. Its count, based on daily reports from hospitals, is considered by the United Nations and other experts to be the most reliable.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after its attack 20 month ago, in which militants stormed into southern Israel and killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They abducted 251 others, and the militants are still holding 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive.
Israel’s air and ground campaign has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and driven some 90 percent of the population from their homes. Aid groups say they have struggled to bring in food and other assistance because of Israeli military restrictions and the breakdown of law and order, and experts have warned of famine.

Syrian Druze say govt mission of peace devolved into rampage

Syrian Druze say govt mission of peace devolved into rampage
Updated 23 min 20 sec ago
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Syrian Druze say govt mission of peace devolved into rampage

Syrian Druze say govt mission of peace devolved into rampage
  • Syria’s defense minister had declared a ‘complete ceasefire’ in Sweide late Tuesday morning, but locals said the announcement had little effect on the ground
  • Thousands of the city’s residents fled, seeking safety nearer the Jordanian border

SWEIDA: The mainly Druze residents of the Syrian city of Sweida had hoped the arrival of government forces on Tuesday would spell an end to deadly sectarian clashes with local Bedouin tribes.
Instead they spoke of executions, looting and arson as government troops and their allies rampaged through Druze neighborhoods, prompting thousands from the religious minority to flee.
“Government forces entered the city on the pretext of restoring order... but unfortunately they indulged in savage practices,” said Rayan Maarouf, editor in chief of the Suwayda 24 news website.
“There have been cases of civilians being killed... dozens of them... but we don’t have precise figures,” he added, blaming government fighters and their allies.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, government forces executed 12 civilians in a guesthouse in the city, in just one incident among many said to have taken place in the area.
Syria’s defense minister had declared a “complete ceasefire” in the city late Tuesday morning, but locals said the announcement had little effect on the ground.
An AFP correspondent who entered Sweida shortly after government forces reported dead bodies left lying on deserted streets as sporadic gunfire rang out.
“I’m in the center of Sweida. There are executions, houses and shops that have been torched, and robberies and looting,” one Sweida resident holed up in his home told AFP by phone.
“One of my friends who lives in the west of the city told me that they entered his home, chased out his family after taking their mobile phones and then set fire to it,” added the resident, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution.
AFP correspondents saw smoke rising over several areas of the city of some 150,000 people.
Another resident said he had seen armed men in civilian clothes “looting shops and setting fire to them.”
“They’re firing indiscriminately, I am afraid to leave the house,” he said, adding that he regretted “not leaving before they arrived.”
On Tuesday, government forces entered Sweida with the stated aim of ending the sectarian violence that had claimed more than 100 lives earlier this week.
But the Observatory, Druze leaders and witnesses said they entered the city accompanied by Bedouin fighters, and joined with them in attacking the Druze.
One AFP video showed Bedouin fighters riding through the streets on a government tank, brandishing their weapons in celebration.
The fighters toppled several statues in public squares, AFP images showed. Hard-line Islamists believe such representations of the human form to be idolatrous.
Unverified video footage circulating on social media showed armed men forcibly shaving off the moustache of an elderly Druze, a grave insult in the community.
The Israeli military said it had carried out several air strikes on the forces that entered Sweida.
An AFP correspondent saw one Syrian army vehicle in the city center that had taken a direct hit. Several bodies were left dangling over its sides.
The Israeli military said it was acting to protect the Druze, although some analysts have said that was a pretext for pursuing its own military goals.
Thousands of the city’s residents fled, seeking safety nearer the Jordanian border, Maarouf said.
In the nearby village of Walgha, an AFP correspondent found a group of displaced civilians sheltering in a mosque.


UN’s Syria commission urges deescalation amid Suwayda clashes, warns against Israeli airstrikes

UN’s Syria commission urges deescalation amid Suwayda clashes, warns against Israeli airstrikes
Updated 20 min 24 sec ago
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UN’s Syria commission urges deescalation amid Suwayda clashes, warns against Israeli airstrikes

UN’s Syria commission urges deescalation amid Suwayda clashes, warns against Israeli airstrikes
  • Clashes in southern region between Bedouin tribal forces and Druze-affiliated armed groups have killed dozens, including women and children
  • Ministry of Defense says at least 18 soldiers have been killed; residents describe widespread killings, abductions, arson, looting, and surge in hate speech

NEW YORK CITY: The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic expressed grave concern on Monday about escalating violence in Suwayda Governorate in the south of the country.

Clashes there between Bedouin tribal forces and Druze-affiliated armed groups have left dozens dead, including women and children.

More than 100 people have reportedly been injured in recent days, as fighting intensifies and the Syrian Interim Government deploys security and military forces to the area. The Ministry of Defense said at least 18 soldiers had been killed. Local residents describe widespread killings, abductions, arson, looting, and a surge in hate speech, both online and in public.

The UN commission urged all parties to immediately cease hostilities and engage in dialogue to deescalate the situation. It emphasized the obligation of the government to uphold human rights and protect all civilians, without discrimination, and called for the provision of safe passage for those attempting to flee the violence, along with access for humanitarian aid efforts.

The commission also expressed alarm over reports of Israeli airstrikes in the region, warning that any third-party interventions risked expanding the conflict and compounding the suffering of the Syrian population.

It said it was investigating alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws linked to the recent unrest, and its findings would be published in a forthcoming report.


US ambassador asks Israel to investigate death of US citizen in West Bank

US ambassador asks Israel to investigate death of US citizen in West Bank
Updated 34 min 11 sec ago
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US ambassador asks Israel to investigate death of US citizen in West Bank

US ambassador asks Israel to investigate death of US citizen in West Bank
  • “There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was just 20 yrs old,” Huckabee said
  • Israel’s military previously said Israel was investigating the incident

WEST BANK: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Tuesday he has asked Israel to “aggressively” investigate the death of an American citizen who was beaten to death in the West Bank.

“There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was just 20 yrs old,” Huckabee said in a post on X.

The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately provide comment. Israel’s military previously said Israel was investigating the incident.

US citizen Sayafollah Musallet, 20, also known as Saif, was severely beaten in the incident on Friday evening in Sinjil, north of Ramallah, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.


His family, from Tampa, Florida, said in a statement that medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but that he died before reaching the hospital.

“We must honor his memory by speaking out against violence and working toward a future of peace and dignity,” US Representative Kathy Castor, who represents Tampa, said in a post on X. “The Administration must work with our international partners to ensure the protection of Americans abroad.”

Some members of the US House of Representatives have condemned the killing of Musallet, and others have called on the US State Department to investigate the incident.

The department did not immediately respond to those calls.

Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel’s war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups.


UN rapporteur calls for global action to stop ‘genocide’ in Gaza

UN rapporteur calls for global action to stop ‘genocide’ in Gaza
Updated 46 min ago
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UN rapporteur calls for global action to stop ‘genocide’ in Gaza

UN rapporteur calls for global action to stop ‘genocide’ in Gaza
  • Francesca Albanese says ‘Israeli economy is structured to sustain the occupation that has now turned genocidal‘

BOGOTA: The United Nations’ special rapporteur for Gaza and the West Bank said Tuesday that it’s time for nations around the world to take concrete actions to stop what she called the “genocide” in Gaza.
Francesca Albanese spoke to delegates from 30 countries meeting in Colombia’s capital to discuss the Israel-Hamas war and ways that nations can try to stop Israel’s military offensive in the territory. Many of the participating nations have described the violence as genocide against the Palestinians.
“Each state must immediately review and suspend all ties with the State of Israel ... and ensure its private sector does the same,” Albanese said. “The Israeli economy is structured to sustain the occupation that has now turned genocidal.”
The two-day conference organized by the governments of Colombia and South Africa is being attended mostly by developing nations, although the governments of Spain, Ireland and China have also sent delegates.
Israel has adamantly rejected genocide allegations and called them “antisemitic” and “blood libel.”
Analysts say it’s not clear whether the conference’s participating countries have enough leverage over Israel to force it to change its policies in Gaza, where more than 58,000 people have been killed in Israeli military operations following a deadly Hamas attack on Israel in 2023.
“The United States has so far failed to influence Israel’s behavior … so it is naive to think that this group of countries can have any influence over (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s behavior or on the government of Israel,” said Sandra Borda, a professor of international relations at Bogota’s Los Andes University. She said, however, that the conference will enable some nations of the Global South to clarify their position toward the conflict and have their voices heard.
The conference is co-chaired by the governments of South Africa and Colombia, which last year suspended coal exports to Israeli power plants, and includes the participation of members of The Hague Group, a coalition of eight nations that earlier this year pledged to cut military ties with Israel and to comply with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
For decades, South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party has compared Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank with its own history of oppression under the harsh apartheid regime of white minority rule, which restricted most Blacks to “homelands” before ending in 1994. South Africa’s current argument is rooted in the sentiment that Palestinians have been oppressed in their homeland as Black South Africans were under apartheid.
The gathering comes as the European Union weighs various measures against Israel that include a ban on imports from Israeli settlements, an arms embargo and individual sanctions against Israeli officials, who are found to be blocking a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Colombia’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Mauricio Jaramillo said Monday that the nations participating in the Bogota meeting, which also include Qatar and Turkiye, will be discussing diplomatic and judicial measures that can be taken to put more pressure on Israel to cease its attacks.
The Colombian official described Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as an affront to the international order.
“This is not just about Palestine” Jaramillo said in a press conference. “It is about defending international law… and the right to self determination.”