US military may require some troops in Mideast to surrender cell phones, sources say

The top U.S. commander for the Middle East has warned troops that cellphone videos shared online can help Iran target American bases.

3 min readNew DelhiJul 29, 2026 06:46 PM IST Since the conflict with Iran began on February 28, at least 18 US troops have been killed, and more than 600 have been wounded. (AI Generated Image) The US military is considering restricting mobile phone use among troops in Jordan over fears that Iran could exploit social m

By Phil Stewart July 29 (Reuters) - The top U.S. commander for the Middle East has warned troops that cellphone videos shared online can help Iran target American bases, and sources told Reuters some deployed personnel could soon be ordered to surrender their phones. Any crackdown on mobile communications would add a n