An advertisement warning that the US was ready to deploy its F-16 fighter jets to protect its allies in the face of Iranian threats appeared on the dating app Tinder in Lebanon.
The warning, in Arabic, read "Do not take up arms against the United States or its partners. America will protect its partners in the face of threats from the Iranian regime and its proxies."
The advertisement also had images of US fighter jets on it and stated that the US was "fully prepared" to use F-16 and A-10 aircraft that were already in the area.
The bizarre platform to advertise such a warning has raised eyebrows about the US military's information operations aimed at influencing the views of overseas audiences and reshaping what it calls misleading narratives.
A freelance journalist based in Lebanon found the advertisement on Tinder last week and said that swiping right redirected him to a Central Command post on X. The X post had a similar warning on it.
After he posted screenshots of the ad on X, his post went viral.
"Opened Tinder in Lebanon. Was greeted by an ad from CENTCOM saying in Arabic, "Do not take arms against the US and its partners", that F-16s and A-10s are already prepared, and that the US will "protect its partners in the face of threats from the Iranian regime and its agents," his post read.
For those wondering where the ad links to: Not a website, but instead it brings you to this CENTCOM Arabic tweet with photos of American fighter jets to emphasize that they are operating right now "within the US Central Command's area of responsibility."https://t.co/TkCYpyjXAc
— Séamus Malekafzali (@Seamus_Malek) August 22, 2024
"For those wondering where the ad links to: Not a website, but instead it brings you to this CENTCOM Arabic tweet with photos of American fighter jets to emphasize that they are operating right now "within the US Central Command's area of responsibility," he added.
On its website, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) says it is responsible for defending and promoting U.S. interests in 20 nations in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and the strategic waterways that surround them.
After an uproar, the ad was removed by Tinder and a spokesperson said it "violated our policies" on violent and political messaging.
A US military official told the Washington Post that he doubts the effort "on its face would be very effective" saying it was just "an in-your-face 'don't mess with me.'"
Another official said the idea behind the ad could be to "meet people where they are" and could target military-recruitment-age men.
