Iranian conservative political commentator Ali Gholhaki has said that the appearance of senior Iranian officials wearing smartwatches at public events sparked criticism in Iran amid concerns that such devices could potentially be used by foreign intelligence services for surveillance or other operations.

Gholhaki said that officials seen wearing such devices include Gholam Jalali, head of Iran’s Passive Defense Organization; Reza Farahi, who is responsible for protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks; and Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Al Hadath reports.

Modern smartwatches can be equipped with GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules, microphones and various sensors. These features can allow devices to transmit location data and provide audio capabilities through connected devices.

Under current Iranian regulations, government officials are prohibited from using devices that have access to public communications networks.

The debate has intensified following the large-scale Israeli “pager attack” in Lebanon. Iranian public opinion and conservative circles are calling for stricter enforcement of “digital hygiene” rules among senior officials to reduce the risk of potential information leaks and attacks linked to Israel.