A mysterious new number station designated V32 has emerged, broadcasting encrypted Farsi messages from a United States military base in Germany to recipients likely located within Iran.

Key points

• The V32 station broadcasts two-hour blocks of encoded five-digit groups twice daily at 0200 and 1800 UTC.
• Direction-finding analysis traced the signal to a U.S. military installation near Stuttgart, Germany.
• Iranian authorities have repeatedly attempted to jam the frequency, forcing the station to shift its broadcast channel.
• Technical analysis identified background audio leaks, including Windows 10 system sounds and American military transmitter warning tones.
• The station transitioned from human-read numbers to an automated voice system shortly after its initial discovery.

The emergence of V32 highlights the continued reliance on shortwave radio for covert communication despite the prevalence of modern digital alternatives. This activity suggests that state actors still view analog broadcasts as a secure, low-tech method for transmitting sensitive instructions to operatives in contested regions.