The Selective Service website crashed Friday because of “the spread of misinformation,” the agency tweeted. The website’s crash came hours after the announcement that the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, was killed by a US airstrike ordered by President Donald Trump.
The hashtag #WorldWarIII was one of the top trends on Twitter Friday. The incident led to threats of retaliation from Iran’s government and the escalation of tensions between the US and Iran. It sparked fears on social media of a war between the two countries and the possibility of another military draft in the US.
“Due to the spread of misinformation, our website is experiencing high traffic volumes at this time,” the Selective Service tweeted. “If you are attempting to register or verify registration, please check back later today as we are working to resolve this issue. We appreciate your patience.”
The draft ended in 1973 and the military changed to an all-volunteer force. Currently, all men ages 18 to 25 are required by law to provide basic personal information to the Selective Service System. Not doing so is illegal.
“The Selective Service System is conducting business as usual. In the event that a national emergency necessitates a draft, Congress and the President would need to pass official legislation to authorize a draft,” the agency tweeted.