'Who are you?' Mysterious AI voices answer calls of Iranians; diaspora feels 'helpless' as communication with family disrupted

As tensions escalate between Iran and Israel, Iranians living abroad are encountering an unsettling new challenge, robotic voices answering their calls home.

Since Israel launched airstrikes on Iran a week ago, targeting nuclear and military sites, communication with loved ones inside the country has become nearly impossible,reported news agency AP.

The Iranian government has imposed a widespread internet and phone blackout, leaving families abroad desperate for any news.
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Ellie, a 44-year-old British-Iranian woman, was shocked when she tried to call her mother in Tehran. Instead of hearing her mother’s voice, a robotic female voice responded in broken English: “Who you want to speak with? I’m Alyssia. Do you remember me? I think I don’t know who are you,” as cited by AP.

The same experience has been reported by eight other Iranians in the UK and US.

“Calling your mom and expecting to hear her voice and hearing an AI voice is one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced,” said a woman in New York.

The robotic messages range from eerie to oddly comforting. One caller heard a voice calmly saying: “Life is full of unexpected surprises, and these surprises can sometimes bring joy while at other times they challenge us.”


Another message told callers to imagine peaceful places like forests or seashores, even as their families remain unreachable in a country under attack.

Iranian cybersecurity experts suggest these diversions could be a government tactic to prevent hacking or spread confusion. In the early days of the conflict, mass voice and text messages were sent to Iranian phones warning citizens to prepare for emergencies.

The ministry of information and communications technology oversees Iran’s phone systems, and the country’s intelligence services are believed to monitor conversations. One expert said it would be difficult for anyone but the government to implement such a large-scale voice diversion system.

However, some experts also speculate that Israel could be behind it, referencing similar tactics used in past military operations in Lebanon and Gaza.

For many Iranians abroad, these strange voices are not calming, they’re haunting reminders of how disconnected they are from their families during a time of crisis. “The only feeling it gives me,” said a woman in the UK, “is helplessness.”

Elon Musk announced that his satellite internet service, Starlink, has been activated in Iran, where a limited number of people are believed to be using it despite its illegal status. Authorities have been urging citizens to report neighbors possessing the devices amid an ongoing crackdown on suspected espionage. Some Iranians also rely on illegal satellite dishes to access international news.