January 20, 2026 - Yes, the reporting on the Iranian disinformation bot network is actually an Israeli conspiracy. You people are genuinely hilarious. ... The snp still celebrates the men involved at the time.

January 20, 2026 - "Instead, the SNP leadership seem happy to let tin-hatted conspiracy theorists exist within their ranks, fuelled by Iranian bot accounts.

January 17, 2026 - This is not the first time the ... Angus Robertson rejected claims after reports suggested anonymous pro-independence accounts on X had ties to an Iranian bot network....

January 9, 2026 - Iran are seeking to influence Scots to break up the UK and researchers have found there is a network of bots on X who promote SNP propaganda but are now going a step further to claim mass protests in Scotland for Scexit, even though these aren't ...

March 18, 2026 - Senior SNP politicians have refused to condemn the Iranian bots which promote breaking up the UK on social media - and at one point were more prolific than even the nationalist party.

December 1, 2025 - X recently brought in a transparency tool which revealed that these accounts route activity through servers in the Netherlands while connecting via an Iran-based Android app store suggesting their true origin.

December 17, 2025 - Asked on a visit to Grangemouth if the investigation would include Iran and the independence debate, Mr Alexander said: ‘Yes. When the Americans took the action that they did, we saw a significant reduction in the number of Iranian bots promoting Scottish independence on Scottish social media sites. ‘So it is right and appropriate that the investigation that is being undertaken looks at all actors who are trying to influence democratic decisions being made here in the United Kingdom.’ ... Scottish Tory MSP Stephen Kerr said: ‘This investigation is absolutely right. SNP politicians were far too willing to promote and legitimise these accounts simply because they appeared to be cheering on independence. ‘John Swinney should publicly condemn those acting in bad faith, ensure his own colleagues stop amplifying disinformation, and commit to full and transparent co-operation with this investigation.’ ·

August 24, 2025 - A 2024 study by researchers at Clemson University estimated that 4% of content relating to independence were linked to one Iranian-backed bot network of around 80 accounts. According to the study: “The accounts in this network all have false ...

November 24, 2025 - Labour MP Graeme Downie characterized the operation as evidence that “Iran, as well as countries such as Russia and our other enemies, are actively seeking to subvert our democracy and discourse in Scotland and the UK,” describing it as part of an ongoing “grey war.” · Downie specifically criticized the Scottish National Party (SNP) for insufficient vigilance, noting that some elected SNP politicians had “unwittingly” shared content originating from these inauthentic accounts.

August 25, 2025 - More than 1,300 X users posting pro-independence content this summer were actually Iranian-backed bots, new research suggests

January 13, 2026 - Pro-Scottish independence accounts on X abruptly stopped posting after Iran shut down internet access, fueling claims they were Iranian bots interfering in UK politics, The Telegraph reported.

July 10, 2025 - When power returned, the same fake network came back online, using the same personas and behaviors, but with a new mission: promoting pro-Iran messaging and mocking the West. This coordinated blackout – followed by a synchronized return and sudden messaging shift – left little room for doubt. It was clear: this was a state-controlled operation caught mid-glitch. After the power outage, the bot network’s new objective – amplifying pro-Iranian narratives – was immediately deployed.

January 12, 2026 - They added: "As Iran remains largely offline, the absence of these accounts may prove more revealing than their claims ever were". ... It pointed to a similar shut down of bot accounts in June last year following a US military strike on Iran. The Record has previously reported how several anonymous social media accounts used to routinely share pro-Scottish independence messages were linked to a "coordinated influence operation based in Iran". A software update to X made last year allows users to check where in the word an account is based. A now-deleted profile which claimed be based in Glasgow was one of many found to connect to X through the "Iran Android App". The same profile, which regularly posts about Scottish independence, declared in June last year: "The Supreme Leader of Iran stands as a symbol of dignity while others speak only in threats" ...

December 17, 2025 - Asked on a visit to Grangemouth if the investigation would include Iran and the independence debate, Mr Alexander said: ‘Yes. When the Americans took the action that they did, we saw a significant reduction in the number of Iranian bots promoting Scottish independence on Scottish social media sites. ‘So it is right and appropriate that the investigation that is being undertaken looks at all actors who are trying to influence democratic decisions being made here in the United Kingdom.’ · Scottish Tory MSP Stephen Kerr said: ‘This investigation is absolutely right. SNP politicians were far too willing to promote and legitimise these accounts simply because they appeared to be cheering on independence. ‘John Swinney should publicly condemn those acting in bad faith, ensure his own colleagues stop amplifying disinformation, and commit to full and transparent co-operation ...