A Mysterious Numbers Station Is Broadcasting Through the Iran War | WIREDSkip to main contentMenuSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoLivestreamsMerchSearchSearchRuchi KumarSecurityMar 23, 2026 2:59 PMA Mysterious Numbers Station Is Broadcasting Through the Iran WarFirst heard as US and Israeli strikes on Iran began, the shortwave broadcast has since been traced to a US military base in Germany—but its purpose and its operator remain unclear.Play/Pause ButtonPauseILLUSTRATION- Nadia Méndez; Getty imagesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this story“Tavajoh! Tavajoh! Tavajoh!” a man’s voice announces, before going on to narrate a string of numbers in no apparent order, slowly and rhythmically. After nearly two hours, the calls of “Attention!” in Persian stop, only to resume again hours later.The broadcast has been playing twice a day on a shortwave frequency since the start of the US-Israel attack on Iran on February 28.According to Priyom, an organization which tracks and analyses global military and intelligence use of shortwave radio, using established radio-location techniques, the broadcast was first heard as the US bombing of Iran began. It has since played on the 7910 kHz shortwave frequency like clockwork—at 02.00 UTC and again at 18.00 UTC.Over the weekend, Priyom said it had identified the likely origin of the broadcast. Using multilateration and triangulation techniques, the group traced the signal to a shortwave transmission facility inside a US military base in Böblingen, southwest of Stuttgart, Germany.The site lies within a restricted training area between Panzer Kaserne and Patch Barracks, with technical operations possibly linked to the US army’s 52nd Strategic Signal Battalion, headquartered nearby.That identification narrows the field, but it does not reveal who is behind the transmissions or who they are meant for.The two-hour-long transmission is divided into five to six segments, each lasting up to 20 minutes. Each opens with “Tavajoh!” before shifting into a string of numbers in Persian, sometimes punctuated with an English word or two. Five days into the broadcast, radio jammers were heard attempting to block the frequency. The following day, the transmission shifted to a different frequency—7842 kHz.Radio communication experts believe the broadcast is likely part of a Cold War–era system known as number stations.The Return of the NumbersNumber stations are shortwave radio broadcasts that play strings of numbers or codes that sound random—like the one now heard in Iran. “It is an encrypted radio message used by foreign intelligence services, often as part of a complex operation by intelligence agencies and militaries,” says Maris Goldmanis, a Latvian historian and avid numbers stations researcher.Number stations are most commonly associated with espionage. “For intelligence agencies, it is important to communicate with their spies to gather intelligence,” says John Sipher, a former US intelligence officer who served 28 years in the CIA’s National Clandestine Service. “This is not always possible in person due to political constraints or conflict. This is where number stations come in.”While the use of number stations can be traced back to the First World War, they gained prominence during the US-Soviet Cold War. As espionage grew more sophisticated, governments used automated voice transmissions of coded numbers to communicate with agents, Goldmanis says. Citing declassified KGB and CIA documents, he adds that number stations were widely used during this period, often as Morse code transmissions and, in many cases, as two-way communications, with agents reporting back using their own shortwave transmitters.“Nowadays, you have various satellite and encrypted communications technologies,” Sipher says. “But during the Cold War and even before that, governments had to find ways to do this without being noticed, and broadcasting coded messages was one way to communicate with your assets discreetly.”The apparent randomness of the numbers means they can be understood only with a codebook, Sipher adds. “Nobody can make heads or tails of it or understand what it says unless you have the codebook that can give you hints to decrypt the code,” he says, noting that such systems must be set up and coordinated in advance.A Signal Without a SenderWhile the likely origin of the signal may now be clearer, its purpose and intended recipient remain unknown.Because the broadcasts are encrypted and designed to be covert, those details may remain unclear for years, Goldmanis says. The structured nature of the transmission—its fixed schedule and consistent use of frequencies—further suggests it is part of a planned operation.One theory is that the broadcasts originate from Iran itself, as part of its wartime intelligence efforts—particularly if traditional covert communication channels have been disrupted. “Such a station would have appeared if the Iranian intelligence service had lost its usual way of covert communication with the Iranian agents abroad because of the Israeli and US strikes and was now required to use a shortwave radio to send messages and instructions,” he says.However, another more widely backed theory is that perhaps the US, Israel, or an Iranian opposition group in exile that is based in Europe is using shortwave transmitters to reach allies inside. “There is also a suggestion that these broadcasts are used to confuse and distract the Iranian security,” Goldmanis adds.Meanwhile, just days after the first broadcast, attempts to jam the signal began. Since March 4, onlookers have observed interference consistent with a technique known as a “bubble jammer,” a method previously associated with the Iranian regime.“Iran has used these bubble-like sounds to jam Radio Farda, Voice of Israel, Voice of America in the past, and this suggests that Iranian security is aware of these broadcasts and wanted to disrupt them,” Goldmanis says, adding that this lends some credence to the theory that the source of the broadcast may be someone opposed to the Iranian regime.The station also responded, switching frequency to avoid the interference, he says.Why Now?Number stations have captured the imagination of academics and conspiracy theorists alike for decades, with dedicated forums and online communities trying to make sense of the few remaining broadcasts.The emergence of a new station at the cusp of a major geopolitical event has energized that community. “The appearance of a new numbers station should be viewed as an extraordinary event, because of all the other numerous ways of covert communication,” Goldmanis says.Even so, the system itself is clunky, Sipher says, “involving equipment and headphones, and a person at the other end receiving the numbers, writing them down, and then using the codebook to understand the message.”“With the technology available today, this is a communication mechanism of the last resort,” he adds.Since the start of the US-Israel attacks, the Iranian government has clamped down on internet access, with blackouts across the country lasting up to 500 hours. “We have seen in recent times what happens in Iran when the internet experiences a complete shutdown, when secure applications like Telegram are completely blocked in Russia, or access to Starlink is lost,” Goldmanis says.In such scenarios, old-school methods like shortwave radio might seem like a reliable source for covert communications. “Shortwaves can be received over large distances, and all you need is a technically valid shortwave radio and a location free from interference,” he says.While radio is unlikely to replace modern technologies during wartime, unique circumstances can force a return to analog tools. Sipher says such systems are harder to trace. “It’s useful because there’s no way for the Iranian regime to figure out who is receiving the incoming signals, because it is being broadcast to everyone. It is unlike a Starlink device receiving internet and can be located; there’s no way to determine who’s listening in to the numbers.”The station appeared at the start of the war—and while key questions remain, its timing, structure, and suspected origin point to an intelligence operation unfolding in real time.This story was originally published on WIRED Middle East.CommentsBack to topTriangleYou Might Also LikeIn your inbox: Upgrade your life with WIRED-tested gearNvidia plans to launch an open-source AI agent platformBig Story: He built the Epstein database—it consumed his lifeShould you leave your phone charging overnight?Watch: How right wing influencers infiltrated the governmentTopicsIranRussiaencryptionspiescodewarMilitaryIsraelRead MoreA Billionaire-Backed Startup Wants to Grow 'Organ Sacks' to Replace Animal TestingR3 Bio has a bold idea for replacing lab animals: genetically-engineered whole organ systems that lack a brain. 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The emergence of a new numbers station at the cusp of a major geopolitical event has energized a long-standing community of academics and conspiracy theorists, marking a noteworthy departure from the established norms of covert communication. This particular station, operating since the commencement of US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February 2026, has been consistently broadcasting twice daily—at 02:00 and 18:00 UTC—from a location traced to a US military base in Böblingen, Germany. Initially detected as the bombing began, the broadcast, characterized by a man’s voice announcing “Tavajoh! Tavajoh! Tavajoh!” followed by a string of numbers, has become a focal point for investigation, primarily attributed to Priyom, an organization specializing in the analysis of shortwave radio transmissions. Maris Goldmanis, a Latvian historian and avid numbers stations researcher, describes these transmissions as “encrypted radio messages” frequently employed by foreign intelligence services as a crucial component of complex operations. Goldmanis further notes that John Sipher, a former US intelligence officer who spent 28 years with the CIA’s National Clandestine Service, identifies these stations as “not always possible in person due to political constraints or conflict.” He highlights that the purpose of such operations is to communicate with agents covertly. The broadcast itself is structured into five to six segments, each ranging from 20 minutes, typically opening with “Tavajoh!” and transitioning into a sequence of numbers in Persian, sometimes supplemented by English words. Five days into its operation, the broadcast faced interference attempts, prompting a shift to 7842 kHz. Radio communication experts posit that this station represents a return to a Cold War-era system known as number stations, utilized for discreet communication with agents during a period when traditional channels were compromised. The randomness of the numerical data, as noted by Sipher, underscores the necessity of a codebook for interpretation, stating that "nobody can make heads or tails of it or understand what it says unless you have the codebook that can give you hints to decrypt the code." The persistence of this system, despite advancements in modern communication technologies, speaks to the ingenuity of governments seeking secure channels during periods of heightened tension. Recent attempts to jam the signal, utilizing “bubble jammers” – a technique previously associated with Iranian security – further complicate the situation. These actions spurred a counter-response from the station, which shifted frequencies to evade the interference. The appearance of this new station coincides with a significant geopolitical event, amplifying the interest and scrutiny directed toward its operation. One prevailing theory suggests that the station is a response to disruptions in traditional Iranian intelligence capabilities resulting from the attacks, potentially serving as a lifeline for agents operating abroad. Alternatively, some propose that the broadcast originates from within the US or Israel – perhaps a covert operation directed by opposition groups – or even to confuse and disorient Iranian security forces. The attempted jamming, combined with the frequency shifts, indicates an active defense against surveillance and disruption. While the precise purpose and intended recipients remain obscured, the station’s timing, structure, and suspected origin point to an intelligence operation unfolding in real time, emphasizing the enduring relevance of analog communication in a technologically advanced world. The fact that this system is cumbersome, involving equipment and headphones, and requiring a person at the other end to interpret the numbers underscores its utility as a last resort amidst circumstances where more sophisticated means are unavailable. The ability for signals to be received over distances and the lack of traceability due to broadcasting to everyone, distinguish it from satellite communications, further increasing its appeal during wartime.