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Iran fears audio recordings could reveal Supreme Leader's location, health: report

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Iranian authorities fear audio recordings could reveal Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's location and health, according to a report.
  • The Tehran Municipality-affiliated daily Al-Mashhari outlined five ways recordings could expose his whereabouts, including acoustic signatures and electrical grid interference.
  • Concerns also extend to identifying the recording device and analyzing equipment noise and speech patterns to pinpoint a location.

Iranian authorities are reportedly concerned that audio recordings of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei could be exploited by intelligence agencies to determine his location and health status. The fears were detailed in an article by the Tehran Municipality-affiliated daily Al-Mashhari, published Sunday.

every enclosed space has a unique acoustic signature that can provide precise information about the room in which the speaker is located

— Al-MashhariThe newspaper outlined five ways a recording could potentially reveal where he was located, starting with acoustic signatures.

According to Al-Mashhari's Telegram channel, the lack of released audio recordings of Khamenei stems from these security concerns. The newspaper outlined five specific methods through which audio files could potentially reveal the Supreme Leader's whereabouts.

interference from the electrical grid can be used to determine the date and exact time a recording was made, as well as the specific section of the power grid connected to the recording site

— Al-MashhariThe newspaper detailed how electrical grid interference could be used to date and locate recordings.

These methods include analyzing the unique acoustic signature of any enclosed space, which can precisely identify a room. Additionally, interference patterns from the electrical grid could pinpoint the date and time of a recording, as well as the specific power grid section connected to the site. The imprint left by microphones and recording devices, such as the weakening of low frequencies by mobile phones or harmonic distortion from inexpensive equipment, can also serve as a fingerprint for the device used.

Each microphone and recording device also leaves a unique imprint on an audio file.

— Al-MashhariThe newspaper explained how device fingerprints could be identified from audio files.

Furthermore, ambient noise from ventilation systems, generators, or cooling equipment at a location could help intelligence agencies identify it. The newspaper also claimed that the resonance of Khamenei's voice could reveal details about his breathing patterns, pauses, physical condition, heart rate, and stress levels, providing further clues to his health and location.

Noise from ventilation systems, generators, cooling equipment, or other technical equipment at the site could also help intelligence agencies identify its location.

— Al-MashhariThe newspaper cited equipment noise as a potential identifier of a recording's location.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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