Report Details Iran's 30-Year Disinformation Campaign Against the West

Los Angeles – The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) has released a report titled "The War for Western Minds: The Iran Report," detailing Iran's extensive and long-term disinformation campaign targeting Western nations. The report documents how Iran has utilized antisemitism as a tool to amplify societal divisions and weaken democratic institutions in the United States and across the West.

According to SWC, Iran has constructed an influence infrastructure that has employed antisemitism to appeal to extremist groups from across the political spectrum. The report contends that this strategy has enabled Iran to advance its strategic objectives by uniting movements that might otherwise disagree. Examples cited include American extremists from both the far-right and far-left participating in conferences organized by Tehran.

The investigation draws parallels between Iran's methods and the strategies of Russian political theorist Aleksandr Dugin, which aim to undermine the political center by bolstering extremist movements. The report suggests Iran's disinformation campaign began in the 1990s and evolved into the digital age, leveraging relationship-building, media campaigns, and social media.

As part of the report, SWC is also providing media literacy resources. These tools are designed to help the public recognize propaganda and coordinated influence efforts. The report marks the first in a series from SWC examining hostile states' influence campaigns against Western societies.