STORM-2035: Recidivist influence activity
OpenAI disrupted an Iran-linked influence operation using AI to manipulate US, UK, Irish, and Venezuelan politics—signaling how fast AI becomes a tool for state-level information warfare.
Why it matters
AI practitioners and security teams need to understand how frontier models are being weaponized for coordinated inauthentic behavior at scale. This is a real-world case study in AI-enabled influence operations and a signal that platform governance around malicious use is now a core operational concern.
The key facts
10 to knowOperation: STORM-2035, likely Iran-linked
Target countries: US, UK, Ireland, Venezuela
Method: AI-generated influence content
Platform action: Account bans by OpenAI
Category: Coordinated inauthentic behavior / state-level information warfare
Timing: Published June 1, 2025
Operation name: STORM-2035, Iran-linked
Targets: US, UK, Irish, and Venezuelan politics
Action: OpenAI banned associated accounts
Significance: Demonstrates state-actor adoption of generative AI for disinformation at coordinated scale
Go to the source
OpenAI Blogopenai.com
Publisher excerpt: OpenAI banned accounts associated with the likely Iran-linked STORM-2035 operation using AI to create influence content about US, UK, Irish, and Venezuelan politics.