Well, so much for that.
The usual gang of "current and former intelligence officials in the intelligence community" who have wrecked any number of covert operations so far (and you can bet hard cash it's the same ones every time) have blown the cover on this one already, with the enthusiastic cooperation of the media.
Would this "soft power" approach have worked? Who knows now? Iran's leadership will have a field day with this.
I make the same observation I have made before: If our enemies were actually paying these people, what actions of theirs would be any different?