Iran Used Strava Data to Track U.S. Military
Strava data could help Iran monitor American military personnel. More than 1,300 users of the fitness app Strava have published their training routes on American military bases in the Middle East.
Consensus
- Over 1,300 users of the Strava app shared workout data from U.S. military bases in the Middle East.
- The data included routes of runs, bike rides, and swims, revealing daily routines and troop movements.
- Iran may have used this data to monitor U.S. military personnel and select targets for attacks.
- The Pentagon warned military personnel about the risks of using Strava in 2018 and restricted geolocation use during overseas missions.
- A U.S. Navy contractor was identified who switched from running on a base in Bahrain to running in a Crowne Plaza hotel, shortly before an Iranian strike on the hotel.
- Two Pentagon employees were injured in the strike on the hotel in Bahrain.
- The U.S. Central Command did not respond to requests for comment.
- Strava stated that users in sensitive roles should restrict data access.
- Experts believe military personnel continued sharing data due to poor oversight and lack of awareness of risks.
Points of divergence
- The strike on the naval base in Manama (Bahrain) occurred on March 1, and the base was largely evacuated before the attack. — vedomosti
- On July 17, Iran attacked barracks at Muwaqqar al-Salti Air Base in Jordan, killing three military personnel. — kommersant
- The U.S. military base in Muwaqqar al-Salti in Jordan had hundreds of Strava workouts posted before the war. — vedomosti
- During the ceasefire, over 70% of Strava routes at Muwaqqar al-Salti began or ended at barracks in the eastern part of the base. — kommersant
- British military personnel were found to have posted workouts from Akrotiri Air Base on Cyprus, which was repeatedly attacked by Iran. — vedomosti
- No mention of British military personnel or Akrotiri Air Base. — kommersant
- Three Strava accounts were found tracking runs at the Dimona nuclear research center in Israel, a priority target for Iran. — vedomosti
- No mention of Israeli nuclear research center or any Strava accounts linked to it. — kommersant
Coverage (4 sources)
- Data from Strava fitness app helped Iran track US military — Ведомости
- Sky News: Iran used a fitness app to track US military — Коммерсантъ
- Strava data could have helped Iran monitor American military personnel — Дождь
- Strava data could help Iran track American military personnel — Дождь (Telegram)