Iran International reported that the images, posted on X by conservative commentator Ali Gholhaki, show smartwatches worn by Gholamreza Jalali, head of the Passive Defense Organization; Reza Farahi, a Defense Ministry official; and Ali Shamkhani, the former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
Asked about his watch, Jalali said using it was no different from citizens having smart televisions in their homes. Gholhaki rejected the comparison, arguing that the use of such devices by senior security officials poses greater risks because they can transmit location and activity data through GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and connected phones.
Iran International noted that the controversy comes amid previous security failures. During the June 2025 war, Iranian authorities banned officials and their protection teams from using smartphones, computers and smartwatches connected to public telecommunications networks, amid concerns that the devices could be used to track officials.
Gholhaki linked the use of smartwatches to what he described as repeated security failures, calling for a review of protection measures and a comprehensive investigation into how the breaches occurred and, according to his assessment, enabled the targeting of prominent Iranian officials.